diff --git a/drivers/nvdimm/bus.c b/drivers/nvdimm/bus.c
index 2dca3034fee0..42713b210f51 100644
--- a/drivers/nvdimm/bus.c
+++ b/drivers/nvdimm/bus.c
@@ -547,13 +547,38 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(nd_device_register);
 
 void nd_device_unregister(struct device *dev, enum nd_async_mode mode)
 {
+	bool killed;
+
 	switch (mode) {
 	case ND_ASYNC:
+		/*
+		 * In the async case this is being triggered with the
+		 * device lock held and the unregistration work needs to
+		 * be moved out of line iff this is thread has won the
+		 * race to schedule the deletion.
+		 */
+		if (!kill_device(dev))
+			return;
+
 		get_device(dev);
 		async_schedule_domain(nd_async_device_unregister, dev,
 				&nd_async_domain);
 		break;
 	case ND_SYNC:
+		/*
+		 * In the sync case the device is being unregistered due
+		 * to a state change of the parent. Claim the kill state
+		 * to synchronize against other unregistration requests,
+		 * or otherwise let the async path handle it if the
+		 * unregistration was already queued.
+		 */
+		device_lock(dev);
+		killed = kill_device(dev);
+		device_unlock(dev);
+
+		if (!killed)
+			return;
+
 		nd_synchronize();
 		device_unregister(dev);
 		break;