#include <linux/init.h>                /* For __init/__exit/... */
 #include <linux/hrtimer.h>     /* For hrtimers */
 #include <linux/kernel.h>      /* For printk/panic/... */
-#include <linux/kref.h>                /* For data references */
 #include <linux/kthread.h>     /* For kthread_work */
 #include <linux/miscdevice.h>  /* For handling misc devices */
 #include <linux/module.h>      /* For module stuff/... */
 
 /*
  * struct watchdog_core_data - watchdog core internal data
- * @kref:      Reference count.
+ * @dev:       The watchdog's internal device
  * @cdev:      The watchdog's Character device.
  * @wdd:       Pointer to watchdog device.
  * @lock:      Lock for watchdog core.
  * @status:    Watchdog core internal status bits.
  */
 struct watchdog_core_data {
-       struct kref kref;
+       struct device dev;
        struct cdev cdev;
        struct watchdog_device *wdd;
        struct mutex lock;
        file->private_data = wd_data;
 
        if (!hw_running)
-               kref_get(&wd_data->kref);
+               get_device(&wd_data->dev);
 
        /*
         * open_timeout only applies for the first open from
        return err;
 }
 
-static void watchdog_core_data_release(struct kref *kref)
+static void watchdog_core_data_release(struct device *dev)
 {
        struct watchdog_core_data *wd_data;
 
-       wd_data = container_of(kref, struct watchdog_core_data, kref);
+       wd_data = container_of(dev, struct watchdog_core_data, dev);
 
        kfree(wd_data);
 }
         */
        if (!running) {
                module_put(wd_data->cdev.owner);
-               kref_put(&wd_data->kref, watchdog_core_data_release);
+               put_device(&wd_data->dev);
        }
        return 0;
 }
        .fops           = &watchdog_fops,
 };
 
+static struct class watchdog_class = {
+       .name =         "watchdog",
+       .owner =        THIS_MODULE,
+       .dev_groups =   wdt_groups,
+};
+
 /*
  *     watchdog_cdev_register: register watchdog character device
  *     @wdd: watchdog device
- *     @devno: character device number
  *
  *     Register a watchdog character device including handling the legacy
  *     /dev/watchdog node. /dev/watchdog is actually a miscdevice and
  *     thus we set it up like that.
  */
 
-static int watchdog_cdev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd, dev_t devno)
+static int watchdog_cdev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 {
        struct watchdog_core_data *wd_data;
        int err;
        wd_data = kzalloc(sizeof(struct watchdog_core_data), GFP_KERNEL);
        if (!wd_data)
                return -ENOMEM;
-       kref_init(&wd_data->kref);
        mutex_init(&wd_data->lock);
 
        wd_data->wdd = wdd;
                }
        }
 
+       device_initialize(&wd_data->dev);
+       wd_data->dev.devt = MKDEV(MAJOR(watchdog_devt), wdd->id);
+       wd_data->dev.class = &watchdog_class;
+       wd_data->dev.parent = wdd->parent;
+       wd_data->dev.groups = wdd->groups;
+       wd_data->dev.release = watchdog_core_data_release;
+       dev_set_drvdata(&wd_data->dev, wdd);
+       dev_set_name(&wd_data->dev, "watchdog%d", wdd->id);
+
        /* Fill in the data structures */
        cdev_init(&wd_data->cdev, &watchdog_fops);
-       wd_data->cdev.owner = wdd->ops->owner;
 
        /* Add the device */
-       err = cdev_add(&wd_data->cdev, devno, 1);
+       err = cdev_device_add(&wd_data->cdev, &wd_data->dev);
        if (err) {
                pr_err("watchdog%d unable to add device %d:%d\n",
                        wdd->id,  MAJOR(watchdog_devt), wdd->id);
                if (wdd->id == 0) {
                        misc_deregister(&watchdog_miscdev);
                        old_wd_data = NULL;
-                       kref_put(&wd_data->kref, watchdog_core_data_release);
+                       put_device(&wd_data->dev);
                }
                return err;
        }
 
+       wd_data->cdev.owner = wdd->ops->owner;
+
        /* Record time of most recent heartbeat as 'just before now'. */
        wd_data->last_hw_keepalive = ktime_sub(ktime_get(), 1);
        watchdog_set_open_deadline(wd_data);
         */
        if (watchdog_hw_running(wdd)) {
                __module_get(wdd->ops->owner);
-               kref_get(&wd_data->kref);
+               get_device(&wd_data->dev);
                if (handle_boot_enabled)
                        hrtimer_start(&wd_data->timer, 0, HRTIMER_MODE_REL);
                else
 {
        struct watchdog_core_data *wd_data = wdd->wd_data;
 
-       cdev_del(&wd_data->cdev);
+       cdev_device_del(&wd_data->cdev, &wd_data->dev);
        if (wdd->id == 0) {
                misc_deregister(&watchdog_miscdev);
                old_wd_data = NULL;
        hrtimer_cancel(&wd_data->timer);
        kthread_cancel_work_sync(&wd_data->work);
 
-       kref_put(&wd_data->kref, watchdog_core_data_release);
+       put_device(&wd_data->dev);
 }
 
-static struct class watchdog_class = {
-       .name =         "watchdog",
-       .owner =        THIS_MODULE,
-       .dev_groups =   wdt_groups,
-};
-
 static int watchdog_reboot_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb,
                                    unsigned long code, void *data)
 {
 
 int watchdog_dev_register(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 {
-       struct device *dev;
-       dev_t devno;
        int ret;
 
-       devno = MKDEV(MAJOR(watchdog_devt), wdd->id);
-
-       ret = watchdog_cdev_register(wdd, devno);
+       ret = watchdog_cdev_register(wdd);
        if (ret)
                return ret;
 
-       dev = device_create_with_groups(&watchdog_class, wdd->parent,
-                                       devno, wdd, wdd->groups,
-                                       "watchdog%d", wdd->id);
-       if (IS_ERR(dev)) {
-               watchdog_cdev_unregister(wdd);
-               return PTR_ERR(dev);
-       }
-
        ret = watchdog_register_pretimeout(wdd);
        if (ret) {
-               device_destroy(&watchdog_class, devno);
                watchdog_cdev_unregister(wdd);
                return ret;
        }
        if (test_bit(WDOG_STOP_ON_REBOOT, &wdd->status)) {
                wdd->reboot_nb.notifier_call = watchdog_reboot_notifier;
 
-               ret = devm_register_reboot_notifier(dev, &wdd->reboot_nb);
+               ret = devm_register_reboot_notifier(&wdd->wd_data->dev,
+                                                   &wdd->reboot_nb);
                if (ret) {
                        pr_err("watchdog%d: Cannot register reboot notifier (%d)\n",
                               wdd->id, ret);
 void watchdog_dev_unregister(struct watchdog_device *wdd)
 {
        watchdog_unregister_pretimeout(wdd);
-       device_destroy(&watchdog_class, wdd->wd_data->cdev.dev);
        watchdog_cdev_unregister(wdd);
 }