diff --git a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c
index 6b273998155a..0a47788a4fc8 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c
@@ -1092,7 +1092,17 @@ ppp_get_stats64(struct net_device *dev, struct rtnl_link_stats64 *stats64)
 static struct lock_class_key ppp_tx_busylock;
 static int ppp_dev_init(struct net_device *dev)
 {
+	struct ppp *ppp;
+
 	dev->qdisc_tx_busylock = &ppp_tx_busylock;
+
+	ppp = netdev_priv(dev);
+	/* Let the netdevice take a reference on the ppp file. This ensures
+	 * that ppp_destroy_interface() won't run before the device gets
+	 * unregistered.
+	 */
+	atomic_inc(&ppp->file.refcnt);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1115,6 +1125,15 @@ static void ppp_dev_uninit(struct net_device *dev)
 	wake_up_interruptible(&ppp->file.rwait);
 }
 
+static void ppp_dev_priv_destructor(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	struct ppp *ppp;
+
+	ppp = netdev_priv(dev);
+	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&ppp->file.refcnt))
+		ppp_destroy_interface(ppp);
+}
+
 static const struct net_device_ops ppp_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_init	 = ppp_dev_init,
 	.ndo_uninit      = ppp_dev_uninit,
@@ -1134,6 +1153,7 @@ static void ppp_setup(struct net_device *dev)
 	dev->flags = IFF_POINTOPOINT | IFF_NOARP | IFF_MULTICAST;
 	dev->features |= NETIF_F_NETNS_LOCAL;
 	dev->priv_flags &= ~IFF_XMIT_DST_RELEASE;
+	dev->destructor = ppp_dev_priv_destructor;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -2769,6 +2789,12 @@ static struct ppp *ppp_create_interface(struct net *net, int unit,
 
 	ret = register_netdevice(dev);
 	if (ret != 0) {
+		/* register_netdevice() may have called ppp_dev_init()
+		 * but will not have called our destructor, so do that
+		 * now.
+		 */
+		if (dev->qdisc_tx_busylock)
+			ppp_dev_priv_destructor(dev);
 		unit_put(&pn->units_idr, unit);
 		netdev_err(ppp->dev, "PPP: couldn't register device %s (%d)\n",
 			   dev->name, ret);