diff --git a/drivers/media/rc/rc-main.c b/drivers/media/rc/rc-main.c
index 46da365c9c84..02e2f38c9c85 100644
--- a/drivers/media/rc/rc-main.c
+++ b/drivers/media/rc/rc-main.c
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include "rc-core-priv.h"
 
+/* Bitmap to store allocated device numbers from 0 to IRRCV_NUM_DEVICES - 1 */
+#define IRRCV_NUM_DEVICES      256
+DECLARE_BITMAP(ir_core_dev_number, IRRCV_NUM_DEVICES);
+
 /* Sizes are in bytes, 256 bytes allows for 32 entries on x64 */
 #define IR_TAB_MIN_SIZE	256
 #define IR_TAB_MAX_SIZE	8192
@@ -1065,10 +1069,9 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rc_free_device);
 int rc_register_device(struct rc_dev *dev)
 {
 	static bool raw_init = false; /* raw decoders loaded? */
-	static atomic_t devno = ATOMIC_INIT(0);
 	struct rc_map *rc_map;
 	const char *path;
-	int rc;
+	int rc, devno;
 
 	if (!dev || !dev->map_name)
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -1096,7 +1099,15 @@ int rc_register_device(struct rc_dev *dev)
 	 */
 	mutex_lock(&dev->lock);
 
-	dev->devno = (unsigned long)(atomic_inc_return(&devno) - 1);
+	do {
+		devno = find_first_zero_bit(ir_core_dev_number,
+					    IRRCV_NUM_DEVICES);
+		/* No free device slots */
+		if (devno >= IRRCV_NUM_DEVICES)
+			return -ENOMEM;
+	} while (test_and_set_bit(devno, ir_core_dev_number));
+
+	dev->devno = devno;
 	dev_set_name(&dev->dev, "rc%ld", dev->devno);
 	dev_set_drvdata(&dev->dev, dev);
 	rc = device_add(&dev->dev);
@@ -1186,6 +1197,7 @@ out_dev:
 	device_del(&dev->dev);
 out_unlock:
 	mutex_unlock(&dev->lock);
+	clear_bit(dev->devno, ir_core_dev_number);
 	return rc;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rc_register_device);
@@ -1197,6 +1209,8 @@ void rc_unregister_device(struct rc_dev *dev)
 
 	del_timer_sync(&dev->timer_keyup);
 
+	clear_bit(dev->devno, ir_core_dev_number);
+
 	if (dev->driver_type == RC_DRIVER_IR_RAW)
 		ir_raw_event_unregister(dev);