#include <linux/jhash.h>
 #include <linux/jiffies.h>
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
+#include <linux/kref.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/lockdep.h>
 #include <linux/netdevice.h>
 }
 
 /**
- * batadv_compare_backbone_gw - free backbone gw
+ * batadv_backbone_gw_release - release backbone gw from lists and queue for
+ *  free after rcu grace period
+ * @ref: kref pointer of the backbone gw
+ */
+static void batadv_backbone_gw_release(struct kref *ref)
+{
+       struct batadv_bla_backbone_gw *backbone_gw;
+
+       backbone_gw = container_of(ref, struct batadv_bla_backbone_gw,
+                                  refcount);
+
+       kfree_rcu(backbone_gw, rcu);
+}
+
+/**
+ * batadv_backbone_gw_free_ref - decrement the backbone gw refcounter and
+ *  possibly release it
  * @backbone_gw: backbone gateway to be free'd
  */
 static void
 batadv_backbone_gw_free_ref(struct batadv_bla_backbone_gw *backbone_gw)
 {
-       if (atomic_dec_and_test(&backbone_gw->refcount))
-               kfree_rcu(backbone_gw, rcu);
+       kref_put(&backbone_gw->refcount, batadv_backbone_gw_release);
 }
 
 /**
                                                &search_entry))
                        continue;
 
-               if (!atomic_inc_not_zero(&backbone_gw->refcount))
+               if (!kref_get_unless_zero(&backbone_gw->refcount))
                        continue;
 
                backbone_gw_tmp = backbone_gw;
        ether_addr_copy(entry->orig, orig);
 
        /* one for the hash, one for returning */
-       atomic_set(&entry->refcount, 2);
+       kref_init(&entry->refcount);
+       kref_get(&entry->refcount);
 
        hash_added = batadv_hash_add(bat_priv->bla.backbone_hash,
                                     batadv_compare_backbone_gw,
                batadv_backbone_gw_free_ref(claim->backbone_gw);
        }
        /* set (new) backbone gw */
-       atomic_inc(&backbone_gw->refcount);
+       kref_get(&backbone_gw->refcount);
        claim->backbone_gw = backbone_gw;
 
        spin_lock_bh(&backbone_gw->crc_lock);