}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nvme_sync_queues);
 
-struct nvme_ctrl *nvme_ctrl_get_by_path(const char *path)
+struct nvme_ctrl *nvme_ctrl_from_file(struct file *file)
 {
-       struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl;
-       struct file *f;
-
-       f = filp_open(path, O_RDWR, 0);
-       if (IS_ERR(f))
-               return ERR_CAST(f);
-
-       if (f->f_op != &nvme_dev_fops) {
-               ctrl = ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
-               goto out_close;
-       }
-
-       ctrl = f->private_data;
-       nvme_get_ctrl(ctrl);
-
-out_close:
-       filp_close(f, NULL);
-       return ctrl;
+       if (file->f_op != &nvme_dev_fops)
+               return NULL;
+       return file->private_data;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(nvme_ctrl_get_by_path, NVME_TARGET_PASSTHRU);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS_GPL(nvme_ctrl_from_file, NVME_TARGET_PASSTHRU);
 
 /*
  * Check we didn't inadvertently grow the command structure sizes:
 
 u32 nvme_command_effects(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, struct nvme_ns *ns,
                         u8 opcode);
 void nvme_execute_passthru_rq(struct request *rq);
-struct nvme_ctrl *nvme_ctrl_get_by_path(const char *path);
+struct nvme_ctrl *nvme_ctrl_from_file(struct file *file);
 struct nvme_ns *nvme_find_get_ns(struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl, unsigned nsid);
 void nvme_put_ns(struct nvme_ns *ns);
 
 
 int nvmet_passthru_ctrl_enable(struct nvmet_subsys *subsys)
 {
        struct nvme_ctrl *ctrl;
+       struct file *file;
        int ret = -EINVAL;
        void *old;
 
                goto out_unlock;
        }
 
-       ctrl = nvme_ctrl_get_by_path(subsys->passthru_ctrl_path);
-       if (IS_ERR(ctrl)) {
-               ret = PTR_ERR(ctrl);
+       file = filp_open(subsys->passthru_ctrl_path, O_RDWR, 0);
+       if (IS_ERR(file)) {
+               ret = PTR_ERR(file);
+               goto out_unlock;
+       }
+
+       ctrl = nvme_ctrl_from_file(file);
+       if (!ctrl) {
                pr_err("failed to open nvme controller %s\n",
                       subsys->passthru_ctrl_path);
 
-               goto out_unlock;
+               goto out_put_file;
        }
 
        old = xa_cmpxchg(&passthru_subsystems, ctrl->cntlid, NULL,
                         subsys, GFP_KERNEL);
        if (xa_is_err(old)) {
                ret = xa_err(old);
-               goto out_put_ctrl;
+               goto out_put_file;
        }
 
        if (old)
-               goto out_put_ctrl;
+               goto out_put_file;
 
        subsys->passthru_ctrl = ctrl;
        subsys->ver = ctrl->vs;
                        NVME_TERTIARY(subsys->ver));
                subsys->ver = NVME_VS(1, 2, 1);
        }
-
+       nvme_get_ctrl(ctrl);
        __module_get(subsys->passthru_ctrl->ops->module);
-       mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
-       return 0;
+       ret = 0;
 
-out_put_ctrl:
-       nvme_put_ctrl(ctrl);
+out_put_file:
+       filp_close(file, NULL);
 out_unlock:
        mutex_unlock(&subsys->lock);
        return ret;