return crc;
 }
 
+/**
+ * batadv_tt_req_node_release - free tt_req node entry
+ * @ref: kref pointer of the tt req_node entry
+ */
+static void batadv_tt_req_node_release(struct kref *ref)
+{
+       struct batadv_tt_req_node *tt_req_node;
+
+       tt_req_node = container_of(ref, struct batadv_tt_req_node, refcount);
+
+       kfree(tt_req_node);
+}
+
+/**
+ * batadv_tt_req_node_put - decrement the tt_req_node refcounter and
+ *  possibly release it
+ * @tt_req_node: tt_req_node to be free'd
+ */
+static void batadv_tt_req_node_put(struct batadv_tt_req_node *tt_req_node)
+{
+       kref_put(&tt_req_node->refcount, batadv_tt_req_node_release);
+}
+
 static void batadv_tt_req_list_free(struct batadv_priv *bat_priv)
 {
        struct batadv_tt_req_node *node;
 
        hlist_for_each_entry_safe(node, safe, &bat_priv->tt.req_list, list) {
                hlist_del_init(&node->list);
-               kfree(node);
+               batadv_tt_req_node_put(node);
        }
 
        spin_unlock_bh(&bat_priv->tt.req_list_lock);
                if (batadv_has_timed_out(node->issued_at,
                                         BATADV_TT_REQUEST_TIMEOUT)) {
                        hlist_del_init(&node->list);
-                       kfree(node);
+                       batadv_tt_req_node_put(node);
                }
        }
        spin_unlock_bh(&bat_priv->tt.req_list_lock);
        if (!tt_req_node)
                goto unlock;
 
+       kref_init(&tt_req_node->refcount);
        ether_addr_copy(tt_req_node->addr, orig_node->orig);
        tt_req_node->issued_at = jiffies;
 
+       kref_get(&tt_req_node->refcount);
        hlist_add_head(&tt_req_node->list, &bat_priv->tt.req_list);
 unlock:
        spin_unlock_bh(&bat_priv->tt.req_list_lock);
 out:
        if (primary_if)
                batadv_hardif_put(primary_if);
+
        if (ret && tt_req_node) {
                spin_lock_bh(&bat_priv->tt.req_list_lock);
-               /* hlist_del_init() verifies tt_req_node still is in the list */
-               hlist_del_init(&tt_req_node->list);
+               if (!hlist_unhashed(&tt_req_node->list)) {
+                       hlist_del_init(&tt_req_node->list);
+                       batadv_tt_req_node_put(tt_req_node);
+               }
                spin_unlock_bh(&bat_priv->tt.req_list_lock);
-               kfree(tt_req_node);
        }
+
+       if (tt_req_node)
+               batadv_tt_req_node_put(tt_req_node);
+
        kfree(tvlv_tt_data);
        return ret;
 }
                if (!batadv_compare_eth(node->addr, resp_src))
                        continue;
                hlist_del_init(&node->list);
-               kfree(node);
+               batadv_tt_req_node_put(node);
        }
 
        spin_unlock_bh(&bat_priv->tt.req_list_lock);