diff --git a/drivers/vhost/vhost.c b/drivers/vhost/vhost.c
index 46822c0d9f7f..c16d22545868 100644
--- a/drivers/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/drivers/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -1578,7 +1578,6 @@ struct vhost_ubuf_ref *vhost_ubuf_alloc(struct vhost_virtqueue *vq,
 	if (!ubufs)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 	kref_init(&ubufs->kref);
-	kref_get(&ubufs->kref);
 	init_waitqueue_head(&ubufs->wait);
 	ubufs->vq = vq;
 	return ubufs;