diff --git a/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock_tap.c b/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock_tap.c
index 30ee7e4fe251..7c5cdceabb2a 100644
--- a/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock_tap.c
+++ b/net/vmw_vsock/af_vsock_tap.c
@@ -64,14 +64,10 @@ static int __vsock_deliver_tap_skb(struct sk_buff *skb,
 	struct sk_buff *nskb = skb_clone(skb, GFP_ATOMIC);
 
 	if (nskb) {
-		dev_hold(dev);
-
 		nskb->dev = dev;
 		ret = dev_queue_xmit(nskb);
 		if (unlikely(ret > 0))
 			ret = net_xmit_errno(ret);
-
-		dev_put(dev);
 	}
 
 	return ret;