BUG_ON(hdr_off || sg || off);
 
        rds_inc_init(&rm->m_inc, conn, conn->c_laddr);
-       rds_message_addref(rm); /* for the inc */
+       /* For the embedded inc. Matching put is in loop_inc_free() */
+       rds_message_addref(rm);
 
        rds_recv_incoming(conn, conn->c_laddr, conn->c_faddr, &rm->m_inc,
                          GFP_KERNEL, KM_USER0);
        return sizeof(struct rds_header) + be32_to_cpu(rm->m_inc.i_hdr.h_len);
 }
 
+/*
+ * See rds_loop_xmit(). Since our inc is embedded in the rm, we
+ * make sure the rm lives at least until the inc is done.
+ */
+static void rds_loop_inc_free(struct rds_incoming *inc)
+{
+        struct rds_message *rm = container_of(inc, struct rds_message, m_inc);
+        rds_message_put(rm);
+}
+
 static int rds_loop_xmit_cong_map(struct rds_connection *conn,
                                  struct rds_cong_map *map,
                                  unsigned long offset)
        .conn_connect           = rds_loop_conn_connect,
        .conn_shutdown          = rds_loop_conn_shutdown,
        .inc_copy_to_user       = rds_message_inc_copy_to_user,
-       .inc_free               = rds_message_inc_free,
+       .inc_free               = rds_loop_inc_free,
        .t_name                 = "loopback",
 };
 
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rds_message_put);
 
-void rds_message_inc_free(struct rds_incoming *inc)
-{
-       struct rds_message *rm = container_of(inc, struct rds_message, m_inc);
-       rds_message_put(rm);
-}
-
 void rds_message_populate_header(struct rds_header *hdr, __be16 sport,
                                 __be16 dport, u64 seq)
 {