static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(struct net_device *dev,
                                        struct net_device *adj_dev,
+                                       u16 ref_nr,
                                        struct list_head *dev_list,
                                        void *private, bool master)
 {
        adj = __netdev_find_adj(adj_dev, dev_list);
 
        if (adj) {
-               adj->ref_nr++;
+               adj->ref_nr += ref_nr;
                return 0;
        }
 
 
        adj->dev = adj_dev;
        adj->master = master;
-       adj->ref_nr = 1;
+       adj->ref_nr = ref_nr;
        adj->private = private;
        dev_hold(adj_dev);
 
 
 static void __netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(struct net_device *dev,
                                         struct net_device *adj_dev,
+                                        u16 ref_nr,
                                         struct list_head *dev_list)
 {
        struct netdev_adjacent *adj;
                BUG();
        }
 
-       if (adj->ref_nr > 1) {
-               pr_debug("%s to %s ref_nr-- = %d\n", dev->name, adj_dev->name,
-                        adj->ref_nr-1);
-               adj->ref_nr--;
+       if (adj->ref_nr > ref_nr) {
+               pr_debug("%s to %s ref_nr-%d = %d\n", dev->name, adj_dev->name,
+                        ref_nr, adj->ref_nr-ref_nr);
+               adj->ref_nr -= ref_nr;
                return;
        }
 
 
 static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(struct net_device *dev,
                                            struct net_device *upper_dev,
+                                           u16 ref_nr,
                                            struct list_head *up_list,
                                            struct list_head *down_list,
                                            void *private, bool master)
 {
        int ret;
 
-       ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(dev, upper_dev, up_list, private,
-                                          master);
+       ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr, up_list,
+                                          private, master);
        if (ret)
                return ret;
 
-       ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(upper_dev, dev, down_list, private,
-                                          false);
+       ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_insert(upper_dev, dev, ref_nr, down_list,
+                                          private, false);
        if (ret) {
-               __netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, up_list);
+               __netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr, up_list);
                return ret;
        }
 
 }
 
 static int __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(struct net_device *dev,
-                                     struct net_device *upper_dev)
+                                     struct net_device *upper_dev,
+                                     u16 ref_nr)
 {
-       return __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev,
+       return __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr,
                                                &dev->all_adj_list.upper,
                                                &upper_dev->all_adj_list.lower,
                                                NULL, false);
 
 static void __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(struct net_device *dev,
                                               struct net_device *upper_dev,
+                                              u16 ref_nr,
                                               struct list_head *up_list,
                                               struct list_head *down_list)
 {
-       __netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, up_list);
-       __netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(upper_dev, dev, down_list);
+       __netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr, up_list);
+       __netdev_adjacent_dev_remove(upper_dev, dev, ref_nr, down_list);
 }
 
 static void __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(struct net_device *dev,
-                                        struct net_device *upper_dev)
+                                        struct net_device *upper_dev,
+                                        u16 ref_nr)
 {
-       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(dev, upper_dev,
+       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(dev, upper_dev, ref_nr,
                                           &dev->all_adj_list.upper,
                                           &upper_dev->all_adj_list.lower);
 }
                                                struct net_device *upper_dev,
                                                void *private, bool master)
 {
-       int ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, upper_dev);
+       int ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, upper_dev, 1);
 
        if (ret)
                return ret;
 
-       ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev,
+       ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link_lists(dev, upper_dev, 1,
                                               &dev->adj_list.upper,
                                               &upper_dev->adj_list.lower,
                                               private, master);
        if (ret) {
-               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, upper_dev);
+               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, upper_dev, 1);
                return ret;
        }
 
 static void __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_neighbour(struct net_device *dev,
                                                   struct net_device *upper_dev)
 {
-       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, upper_dev);
-       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(dev, upper_dev,
+       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, upper_dev, 1);
+       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink_lists(dev, upper_dev, 1,
                                           &dev->adj_list.upper,
                                           &upper_dev->adj_list.lower);
 }
                list_for_each_entry(j, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
                        pr_debug("Interlinking %s with %s, non-neighbour\n",
                                 i->dev->name, j->dev->name);
-                       ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, j->dev);
+                       ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, j->dev, i->ref_nr);
                        if (ret)
                                goto rollback_mesh;
                }
        list_for_each_entry(i, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
                pr_debug("linking %s's upper device %s with %s\n",
                         upper_dev->name, i->dev->name, dev->name);
-               ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, i->dev);
+               ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(dev, i->dev, i->ref_nr);
                if (ret)
                        goto rollback_upper_mesh;
        }
        list_for_each_entry(i, &dev->all_adj_list.lower, list) {
                pr_debug("linking %s's lower device %s with %s\n", dev->name,
                         i->dev->name, upper_dev->name);
-               ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, upper_dev);
+               ret = __netdev_adjacent_dev_link(i->dev, upper_dev, i->ref_nr);
                if (ret)
                        goto rollback_lower_mesh;
        }
        list_for_each_entry(i, &dev->all_adj_list.lower, list) {
                if (i == to_i)
                        break;
-               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, upper_dev);
+               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, upper_dev, i->ref_nr);
        }
 
        i = NULL;
        list_for_each_entry(i, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
                if (i == to_i)
                        break;
-               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, i->dev);
+               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, i->dev, i->ref_nr);
        }
 
        i = j = NULL;
                list_for_each_entry(j, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list) {
                        if (i == to_i && j == to_j)
                                break;
-                       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, j->dev);
+                       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, j->dev, i->ref_nr);
                }
                if (i == to_i)
                        break;
         */
        list_for_each_entry(i, &dev->all_adj_list.lower, list)
                list_for_each_entry(j, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list)
-                       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, j->dev);
+                       __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, j->dev, i->ref_nr);
 
        /* remove also the devices itself from lower/upper device
         * list
         */
        list_for_each_entry(i, &dev->all_adj_list.lower, list)
-               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, upper_dev);
+               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(i->dev, upper_dev, i->ref_nr);
 
        list_for_each_entry(i, &upper_dev->all_adj_list.upper, list)
-               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, i->dev);
+               __netdev_adjacent_dev_unlink(dev, i->dev, i->ref_nr);
 
        call_netdevice_notifiers_info(NETDEV_CHANGEUPPER, dev,
                                      &changeupper_info.info);