diff --git a/drivers/spi/spi.c b/drivers/spi/spi.c
index 3f135cc9a70e..c7486a373af1 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/spi.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/spi.c
@@ -613,8 +613,12 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(spi_new_device);
  */
 void spi_unregister_device(struct spi_device *spi)
 {
-	if (spi)
-		device_unregister(&spi->dev);
+	if (!spi)
+		return;
+
+	if (spi->dev.of_node)
+		of_node_clear_flag(spi->dev.of_node, OF_POPULATED);
+	device_unregister(&spi->dev);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(spi_unregister_device);
 
@@ -1561,6 +1565,8 @@ static void of_register_spi_devices(struct spi_master *master)
 		return;
 
 	for_each_available_child_of_node(master->dev.of_node, nc) {
+		if (of_node_test_and_set_flag(nc, OF_POPULATED))
+			continue;
 		spi = of_register_spi_device(master, nc);
 		if (IS_ERR(spi))
 			dev_warn(&master->dev, "Failed to create SPI device for %s\n",
@@ -2645,6 +2651,11 @@ static int of_spi_notify(struct notifier_block *nb, unsigned long action,
 		if (master == NULL)
 			return NOTIFY_OK;	/* not for us */
 
+		if (of_node_test_and_set_flag(rd->dn, OF_POPULATED)) {
+			put_device(&master->dev);
+			return NOTIFY_OK;
+		}
+
 		spi = of_register_spi_device(master, rd->dn);
 		put_device(&master->dev);
 
@@ -2656,6 +2667,10 @@ static int of_spi_notify(struct notifier_block *nb, unsigned long action,
 		break;
 
 	case OF_RECONFIG_CHANGE_REMOVE:
+		/* already depopulated? */
+		if (!of_node_check_flag(rd->dn, OF_POPULATED))
+			return NOTIFY_OK;
+
 		/* find our device by node */
 		spi = of_find_spi_device_by_node(rd->dn);
 		if (spi == NULL)