diff --git a/drivers/media/video/s2255drv.c b/drivers/media/video/s2255drv.c
index e6dc7fac5b01..4dc001b0519a 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/s2255drv.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/s2255drv.c
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ struct s2255_fmt; /*forward declaration */
 struct s2255_dev {
 	struct video_device	vdev[MAX_CHANNELS];
 	struct v4l2_device 	v4l2_dev;
-	int                     channels; /* number of channels registered */
+	atomic_t                channels; /* number of channels registered */
 	int			frames;
 	struct mutex		lock;
 	struct mutex		open_lock;
@@ -276,12 +276,8 @@ struct s2255_dev {
 	/* dsp firmware version (f2255usb.bin) */
 	int                     dsp_fw_ver;
 	u16                     pid; /* product id */
-	struct kref		kref;
 };
 
-/* kref will be removed soon */
-#define to_s2255_dev_from_kref(d) container_of(d, struct s2255_dev, kref)
-
 static inline struct s2255_dev *to_s2255_dev(struct v4l2_device *v4l2_dev)
 {
 	return container_of(v4l2_dev, struct s2255_dev, v4l2_dev);
@@ -372,7 +368,7 @@ static int s2255_set_mode(struct s2255_dev *dev, unsigned long chn,
 			  struct s2255_mode *mode);
 static int s2255_board_shutdown(struct s2255_dev *dev);
 static void s2255_fwload_start(struct s2255_dev *dev, int reset);
-static void s2255_destroy(struct kref *kref);
+static void s2255_destroy(struct s2255_dev *dev);
 static long s2255_vendor_req(struct s2255_dev *dev, unsigned char req,
 			     u16 index, u16 value, void *buf,
 			     s32 buf_len, int bOut);
@@ -1720,7 +1716,7 @@ static int s2255_open(struct file *file)
 	dprintk(1, "s2255: open called (dev=%s)\n",
 		video_device_node_name(vdev));
 
-	for (i = 0; i < dev->channels; i++)
+	for (i = 0; i < MAX_CHANNELS; i++)
 		if (&dev->vdev[i] == vdev) {
 			cur_channel = i;
 			break;
@@ -1834,9 +1830,8 @@ static unsigned int s2255_poll(struct file *file,
 	return rc;
 }
 
-static void s2255_destroy(struct kref *kref)
+static void s2255_destroy(struct s2255_dev *dev)
 {
-	struct s2255_dev *dev = to_s2255_dev_from_kref(kref);
 	/* board shutdown stops the read pipe if it is running */
 	s2255_board_shutdown(dev);
 	/* make sure firmware still not trying to load */
@@ -1936,7 +1931,9 @@ static const struct v4l2_ioctl_ops s2255_ioctl_ops = {
 static void s2255_video_device_release(struct video_device *vdev)
 {
 	struct s2255_dev *dev = video_get_drvdata(vdev);
-	kref_put(&dev->kref, s2255_destroy);
+	dprintk(4, "%s, chnls: %d \n", __func__, atomic_read(&dev->channels));
+	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&dev->channels))
+		s2255_destroy(dev);
 	return;
 }
 
@@ -1965,7 +1962,8 @@ static int s2255_probe_v4l(struct s2255_dev *dev)
 		dev->vidq[i].channel = i;
 		/* register 4 video devices */
 		memcpy(&dev->vdev[i], &template, sizeof(struct video_device));
-		dev->vdev[i].parent = &dev->interface->dev;
+		dev->vdev[i].v4l2_dev = &dev->v4l2_dev;
+		video_set_drvdata(&dev->vdev[i], dev);
 		if (video_nr == -1)
 			ret = video_register_device(&dev->vdev[i],
 						    VFL_TYPE_GRABBER,
@@ -1974,13 +1972,12 @@ static int s2255_probe_v4l(struct s2255_dev *dev)
 			ret = video_register_device(&dev->vdev[i],
 						    VFL_TYPE_GRABBER,
 						    cur_nr + i);
-		video_set_drvdata(&dev->vdev[i], dev);
 		if (ret) {
 			dev_err(&dev->udev->dev,
 				"failed to register video device!\n");
 			break;
 		}
-		dev->channels++;
+		atomic_inc(&dev->channels);
 		v4l2_info(&dev->v4l2_dev, "V4L2 device registered as %s\n",
 			  video_device_node_name(&dev->vdev[i]));
 
@@ -1990,11 +1987,11 @@ static int s2255_probe_v4l(struct s2255_dev *dev)
 	       S2255_MAJOR_VERSION,
 	       S2255_MINOR_VERSION);
 	/* if no channels registered, return error and probe will fail*/
-	if (dev->channels == 0) {
+	if (atomic_read(&dev->channels) == 0) {
 		v4l2_device_unregister(&dev->v4l2_dev);
 		return ret;
 	}
-	if (dev->channels != MAX_CHANNELS)
+	if (atomic_read(&dev->channels) != MAX_CHANNELS)
 		printk(KERN_WARNING "s2255: Not all channels available.\n");
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -2567,7 +2564,7 @@ static int s2255_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 		s2255_dev_err(&interface->dev, "out of memory\n");
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
-	kref_init(&dev->kref);
+	atomic_set(&dev->channels, 0);
 	dev->pid = id->idProduct;
 	dev->fw_data = kzalloc(sizeof(struct s2255_fw), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!dev->fw_data)
@@ -2581,7 +2578,7 @@ static int s2255_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 		retval = -ENODEV;
 		goto errorUDEV;
 	}
-	dprintk(1, "dev: %p, kref: %p udev %p interface %p\n", dev, &dev->kref,
+	dprintk(1, "dev: %p, udev %p interface %p\n", dev,
 		dev->udev, interface);
 	dev->interface = interface;
 	/* set up the endpoint information  */
@@ -2652,9 +2649,6 @@ static int s2255_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 		goto errorBOARDINIT;
 	spin_lock_init(&dev->slock);
 	s2255_fwload_start(dev, 0);
-	/* kref for each vdev. Released on video_device_release callback */
-	for (i = 0; i < MAX_CHANNELS; i++)
-		kref_get(&dev->kref);
 	/* loads v4l specific */
 	retval = s2255_probe_v4l(dev);
 	if (retval)
@@ -2688,11 +2682,15 @@ static void s2255_disconnect(struct usb_interface *interface)
 {
 	struct s2255_dev *dev = to_s2255_dev(usb_get_intfdata(interface));
 	int i;
+	int channels = atomic_read(&dev->channels);
 	v4l2_device_unregister(&dev->v4l2_dev);
+	/*see comments in the uvc_driver.c usb disconnect function */
+	atomic_inc(&dev->channels);
 	/* unregister each video device. */
-	for (i = 0; i < MAX_CHANNELS; i++)
+	for (i = 0; i < channels; i++) {
 		if (video_is_registered(&dev->vdev[i]))
 			video_unregister_device(&dev->vdev[i]);
+	}
 	/* wake up any of our timers */
 	atomic_set(&dev->fw_data->fw_state, S2255_FW_DISCONNECTING);
 	wake_up(&dev->fw_data->wait_fw);
@@ -2702,7 +2700,8 @@ static void s2255_disconnect(struct usb_interface *interface)
 		dev->vidstatus_ready[i] = 1;
 		wake_up(&dev->wait_vidstatus[i]);
 	}
-	kref_put(&dev->kref, s2255_destroy);
+	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&dev->channels))
+		s2255_destroy(dev);
 	dev_info(&interface->dev, "%s\n", __func__);
 }