size_t mbo_offs;
        struct mbo *stacked_mbo;
        DECLARE_KFIFO_PTR(fifo, typeof(struct mbo *));
-       atomic_t access_ref;
+       int access_ref;
        struct list_head list;
 };
 
                return -EBUSY;
        }
 
-       if (!atomic_inc_and_test(&c->access_ref)) {
+       if (c->access_ref) {
                pr_info("WARN: Device is busy\n");
-               atomic_dec(&c->access_ref);
                mutex_unlock(&c->io_mutex);
                return -EBUSY;
        }
 
        ret = most_start_channel(c->iface, c->channel_id, &cdev_aim);
-       if (ret)
-               atomic_dec(&c->access_ref);
+       if (!ret)
+               c->access_ref = 1;
        mutex_unlock(&c->io_mutex);
        return ret;
 }
 
        mutex_lock(&c->io_mutex);
        spin_lock(&c->unlink);
-       atomic_dec(&c->access_ref);
+       c->access_ref = 0;
        spin_unlock(&c->unlink);
        if (c->dev) {
                stop_channel(c);
        spin_lock(&c->unlink);
        c->dev = NULL;
        spin_unlock(&c->unlink);
-       if (!atomic_read(&c->access_ref)) {
+       if (c->access_ref) {
                stop_channel(c);
                wake_up_interruptible(&c->wq);
                mutex_unlock(&c->io_mutex);
                return -ENXIO;
 
        spin_lock(&c->unlink);
-       if (atomic_read(&c->access_ref) || !c->dev) {
+       if (!c->access_ref || !c->dev) {
                spin_unlock(&c->unlink);
                return -EFAULT;
        }
        c->cfg = cfg;
        c->channel_id = channel_id;
        c->mbo_offs = 0;
-       atomic_set(&c->access_ref, -1);
+       c->access_ref = 0;
        spin_lock_init(&c->unlink);
        INIT_KFIFO(c->fifo);
        retval = kfifo_alloc(&c->fifo, cfg->num_buffers, GFP_KERNEL);