int i = 0;
        struct emac_priv *priv = netdev_priv(ndev);
        struct phy_device *phydev = NULL;
+       struct device *phy = NULL;
 
        ret = pm_runtime_get_sync(&priv->pdev->dev);
        if (ret < 0) {
 
        /* use the first phy on the bus if pdata did not give us a phy id */
        if (!phydev && !priv->phy_id) {
-               struct device *phy;
-
                phy = bus_find_device(&mdio_bus_type, NULL, NULL,
                                      match_first_device);
-               if (phy)
+               if (phy) {
                        priv->phy_id = dev_name(phy);
+                       if (!priv->phy_id || !*priv->phy_id)
+                               put_device(phy);
+               }
        }
 
        if (!phydev && priv->phy_id && *priv->phy_id) {
                phydev = phy_connect(ndev, priv->phy_id,
                                     &emac_adjust_link,
                                     PHY_INTERFACE_MODE_MII);
-
+               put_device(phy);        /* reference taken by bus_find_device */
                if (IS_ERR(phydev)) {
                        dev_err(emac_dev, "could not connect to phy %s\n",
                                priv->phy_id);