WARN_ON(sd->v4l2_dev != NULL);
        if (!try_module_get(sd->owner))
                return -ENODEV;
+       sd->v4l2_dev = v4l2_dev;
+       if (sd->internal_ops && sd->internal_ops->registered) {
+               err = sd->internal_ops->registered(sd);
+               if (err)
+                       return err;
+       }
        /* This just returns 0 if either of the two args is NULL */
        err = v4l2_ctrl_add_handler(v4l2_dev->ctrl_handler, sd->ctrl_handler);
-       if (err)
+       if (err) {
+               if (sd->internal_ops && sd->internal_ops->unregistered)
+                       sd->internal_ops->unregistered(sd);
                return err;
-       sd->v4l2_dev = v4l2_dev;
+       }
        spin_lock(&v4l2_dev->lock);
        list_add_tail(&sd->list, &v4l2_dev->subdevs);
        spin_unlock(&v4l2_dev->lock);
        spin_lock(&sd->v4l2_dev->lock);
        list_del(&sd->list);
        spin_unlock(&sd->v4l2_dev->lock);
+       if (sd->internal_ops && sd->internal_ops->unregistered)
+               sd->internal_ops->unregistered(sd);
        sd->v4l2_dev = NULL;
        module_put(sd->owner);
 }
 
        const struct v4l2_subdev_sensor_ops     *sensor;
 };
 
+/*
+ * Internal ops. Never call this from drivers, only the v4l2 framework can call
+ * these ops.
+ *
+ * registered: called when this subdev is registered. When called the v4l2_dev
+ *     field is set to the correct v4l2_device.
+ *
+ * unregistered: called when this subdev is unregistered. When called the
+ *     v4l2_dev field is still set to the correct v4l2_device.
+ */
+struct v4l2_subdev_internal_ops {
+       int (*registered)(struct v4l2_subdev *sd);
+       void (*unregistered)(struct v4l2_subdev *sd);
+};
+
 #define V4L2_SUBDEV_NAME_SIZE 32
 
 /* Set this flag if this subdev is a i2c device. */
        u32 flags;
        struct v4l2_device *v4l2_dev;
        const struct v4l2_subdev_ops *ops;
+       /* Never call these internal ops from within a driver! */
+       const struct v4l2_subdev_internal_ops *internal_ops;
        /* The control handler of this subdev. May be NULL. */
        struct v4l2_ctrl_handler *ctrl_handler;
        /* name must be unique */