diff --git a/drivers/hid/hid-core.c b/drivers/hid/hid-core.c
index ef325f178e9a..f950e930edc8 100644
--- a/drivers/hid/hid-core.c
+++ b/drivers/hid/hid-core.c
@@ -703,20 +703,13 @@ static void hid_close_report(struct hid_device *device)
  * Free a device structure, all reports, and all fields.
  */
 
-void hiddev_free(struct kref *ref)
-{
-	struct hid_device *hid = container_of(ref, struct hid_device, ref);
-
-	hid_close_report(hid);
-	kfree(hid->dev_rdesc);
-	kfree(hid);
-}
-
 static void hid_device_release(struct device *dev)
 {
 	struct hid_device *hid = to_hid_device(dev);
 
-	kref_put(&hid->ref, hiddev_free);
+	hid_close_report(hid);
+	kfree(hid->dev_rdesc);
+	kfree(hid);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -2500,7 +2493,6 @@ struct hid_device *hid_allocate_device(void)
 	spin_lock_init(&hdev->debug_list_lock);
 	sema_init(&hdev->driver_input_lock, 1);
 	mutex_init(&hdev->ll_open_lock);
-	kref_init(&hdev->ref);
 
 	return hdev;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/hid/hid-debug.c b/drivers/hid/hid-debug.c
index 81da80f0c75b..1f60a381ae63 100644
--- a/drivers/hid/hid-debug.c
+++ b/drivers/hid/hid-debug.c
@@ -1082,7 +1082,6 @@ static int hid_debug_events_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 		goto out;
 	}
 	list->hdev = (struct hid_device *) inode->i_private;
-	kref_get(&list->hdev->ref);
 	file->private_data = list;
 	mutex_init(&list->read_mutex);
 
@@ -1175,8 +1174,6 @@ static int hid_debug_events_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	list_del(&list->node);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&list->hdev->debug_list_lock, flags);
 	kfifo_free(&list->hid_debug_fifo);
-
-	kref_put(&list->hdev->ref, hiddev_free);
 	kfree(list);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/include/linux/hid.h b/include/linux/hid.h
index 29fb705a27be..7e8a233ad7af 100644
--- a/include/linux/hid.h
+++ b/include/linux/hid.h
@@ -624,13 +624,10 @@ struct hid_device {							/* device report descriptor */
 	struct list_head debug_list;
 	spinlock_t  debug_list_lock;
 	wait_queue_head_t debug_wait;
-	struct kref			ref;
 
 	unsigned int id;						/* system unique id */
 };
 
-void hiddev_free(struct kref *ref);
-
 #define to_hid_device(pdev) \
 	container_of(pdev, struct hid_device, dev)