diff --git a/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c b/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c
index bb3a4b672036..acea77b7c8d9 100644
--- a/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c
+++ b/drivers/thermal/thermal_core.c
@@ -778,6 +778,7 @@ static void thermal_release(struct device *dev)
 		     sizeof("thermal_zone") - 1)) {
 		tz = to_thermal_zone(dev);
 		thermal_zone_destroy_device_groups(tz);
+		thermal_set_governor(tz, NULL);
 		kfree(tz);
 	} else if (!strncmp(dev_name(dev), "cooling_device",
 			    sizeof("cooling_device") - 1)) {
@@ -1260,8 +1261,10 @@ thermal_zone_device_register(const char *type, int num_trips, int mask,
 	/* sys I/F */
 	/* Add nodes that are always present via .groups */
 	result = thermal_zone_create_device_groups(tz, mask);
-	if (result)
+	if (result) {
+		thermal_set_governor(tz, NULL);
 		goto remove_id;
+	}
 
 	/* A new thermal zone needs to be updated anyway. */
 	atomic_set(&tz->need_update, 1);
@@ -1385,8 +1388,6 @@ void thermal_zone_device_unregister(struct thermal_zone_device *tz)
 
 	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&tz->poll_queue);
 
-	thermal_set_governor(tz, NULL);
-
 	thermal_remove_hwmon_sysfs(tz);
 	ida_simple_remove(&thermal_tz_ida, tz->id);
 	ida_destroy(&tz->ida);