int nr_ports;
 };
 
-static struct mutex mdev_list_lock;
-static struct list_head mdev_devices_list;
+static atomic_t mdev_used_ports;
 
 static const struct file_operations vd_fops = {
        .owner          = THIS_MODULE,
 
        mtty_create_config_space(mdev_state);
 
-       mutex_lock(&mdev_list_lock);
-       list_add(&mdev_state->next, &mdev_devices_list);
-       mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
-
        ret = vfio_register_group_dev(&mdev_state->vdev);
        if (ret) {
                kfree(mdev_state);
                return ret;
        }
+       atomic_add(mdev_state->nr_ports, &mdev_used_ports);
+
        dev_set_drvdata(&mdev->dev, mdev_state);
        return 0;
 }
 {
        struct mdev_state *mdev_state = dev_get_drvdata(&mdev->dev);
 
+       atomic_sub(mdev_state->nr_ports, &mdev_used_ports);
        vfio_unregister_group_dev(&mdev_state->vdev);
-       mutex_lock(&mdev_list_lock);
-       list_del(&mdev_state->next);
-       mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
 
        kfree(mdev_state->vconfig);
        kfree(mdev_state);
                                        struct mdev_type_attribute *attr,
                                        char *buf)
 {
-       struct mdev_state *mds;
        unsigned int ports = mtype_get_type_group_id(mtype) + 1;
-       int used = 0;
 
-       list_for_each_entry(mds, &mdev_devices_list, next)
-               used += mds->nr_ports;
-
-       return sprintf(buf, "%d\n", (MAX_MTTYS - used)/ports);
+       return sprintf(buf, "%d\n",
+                      (MAX_MTTYS - atomic_read(&mdev_used_ports)) / ports);
 }
 
 static MDEV_TYPE_ATTR_RO(available_instances);
        ret = mdev_register_device(&mtty_dev.dev, &mdev_fops);
        if (ret)
                goto err_device;
-
-       mutex_init(&mdev_list_lock);
-       INIT_LIST_HEAD(&mdev_devices_list);
        return 0;
 
 err_device: