diff --git a/drivers/usb/usb-skeleton.c b/drivers/usb/usb-skeleton.c
index c31d17d05810..8001d6384c73 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/usb-skeleton.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/usb-skeleton.c
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ static void skel_delete(struct kref *kref)
 	struct usb_skel *dev = to_skel_dev(kref);
 
 	usb_free_urb(dev->bulk_in_urb);
+	usb_put_intf(dev->interface);
 	usb_put_dev(dev->udev);
 	kfree(dev->bulk_in_buffer);
 	kfree(dev);
@@ -124,10 +125,7 @@ static int skel_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	/* allow the device to be autosuspended */
-	mutex_lock(&dev->io_mutex);
-	if (dev->interface)
-		usb_autopm_put_interface(dev->interface);
-	mutex_unlock(&dev->io_mutex);
+	usb_autopm_put_interface(dev->interface);
 
 	/* decrement the count on our device */
 	kref_put(&dev->kref, skel_delete);
@@ -507,7 +505,7 @@ static int skel_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 	init_waitqueue_head(&dev->bulk_in_wait);
 
 	dev->udev = usb_get_dev(interface_to_usbdev(interface));
-	dev->interface = interface;
+	dev->interface = usb_get_intf(interface);
 
 	/* set up the endpoint information */
 	/* use only the first bulk-in and bulk-out endpoints */