diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
index 24e4ba568e77..0f4e96ff99e8 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
@@ -2471,10 +2471,14 @@ int cpufreq_register_driver(struct cpufreq_driver *driver_data)
 
 	pr_debug("trying to register driver %s\n", driver_data->name);
 
+	/* Protect against concurrent CPU online/offline. */
+	get_online_cpus();
+
 	write_lock_irqsave(&cpufreq_driver_lock, flags);
 	if (cpufreq_driver) {
 		write_unlock_irqrestore(&cpufreq_driver_lock, flags);
-		return -EEXIST;
+		ret = -EEXIST;
+		goto out;
 	}
 	cpufreq_driver = driver_data;
 	write_unlock_irqrestore(&cpufreq_driver_lock, flags);
@@ -2513,7 +2517,10 @@ int cpufreq_register_driver(struct cpufreq_driver *driver_data)
 	register_hotcpu_notifier(&cpufreq_cpu_notifier);
 	pr_debug("driver %s up and running\n", driver_data->name);
 
-	return 0;
+out:
+	put_online_cpus();
+	return ret;
+
 err_if_unreg:
 	subsys_interface_unregister(&cpufreq_interface);
 err_boost_unreg:
@@ -2523,7 +2530,7 @@ err_null_driver:
 	write_lock_irqsave(&cpufreq_driver_lock, flags);
 	cpufreq_driver = NULL;
 	write_unlock_irqrestore(&cpufreq_driver_lock, flags);
-	return ret;
+	goto out;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(cpufreq_register_driver);