return (ret < 0) ? ret : len;
 }
 
-static const char * const iio_scan_elements_group_name = "scan_elements";
-
 static ssize_t iio_buffer_show_watermark(struct device *dev,
                                         struct device_attribute *attr,
                                         char *buf)
        &dev_attr_data_available.attr,
 };
 
+static int iio_buffer_register_legacy_sysfs_groups(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
+                                                  struct attribute **buffer_attrs,
+                                                  int buffer_attrcount,
+                                                  int scan_el_attrcount)
+{
+       struct iio_dev_opaque *iio_dev_opaque = to_iio_dev_opaque(indio_dev);
+       struct attribute_group *group;
+       struct attribute **attrs;
+       int ret;
+
+       attrs = kcalloc(buffer_attrcount + 1, sizeof(*attrs), GFP_KERNEL);
+       if (!attrs)
+               return -ENOMEM;
+
+       memcpy(attrs, buffer_attrs, buffer_attrcount * sizeof(*attrs));
+
+       group = &iio_dev_opaque->legacy_buffer_group;
+       group->attrs = attrs;
+       group->name = "buffer";
+
+       ret = iio_device_register_sysfs_group(indio_dev, group);
+       if (ret)
+               goto error_free_buffer_attrs;
+
+       attrs = kcalloc(scan_el_attrcount + 1, sizeof(*attrs), GFP_KERNEL);
+       if (!attrs) {
+               ret = -ENOMEM;
+               goto error_free_buffer_attrs;
+       }
+
+       memcpy(attrs, &buffer_attrs[buffer_attrcount],
+              scan_el_attrcount * sizeof(*attrs));
+
+       group = &iio_dev_opaque->legacy_scan_el_group;
+       group->attrs = attrs;
+       group->name = "scan_elements";
+
+       ret = iio_device_register_sysfs_group(indio_dev, group);
+       if (ret)
+               goto error_free_scan_el_attrs;
+
+       return 0;
+
+error_free_buffer_attrs:
+       kfree(iio_dev_opaque->legacy_buffer_group.attrs);
+error_free_scan_el_attrs:
+       kfree(iio_dev_opaque->legacy_scan_el_group.attrs);
+
+       return ret;
+}
+
+static void iio_buffer_unregister_legacy_sysfs_groups(struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
+{
+       struct iio_dev_opaque *iio_dev_opaque = to_iio_dev_opaque(indio_dev);
+
+       kfree(iio_dev_opaque->legacy_buffer_group.attrs);
+       kfree(iio_dev_opaque->legacy_scan_el_group.attrs);
+}
+
 static int __iio_buffer_alloc_sysfs_and_mask(struct iio_buffer *buffer,
-                                            struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
+                                            struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
+                                            int index)
 {
        struct iio_dev_attr *p;
        struct attribute **attr;
                }
        }
 
-       attr = kcalloc(buffer_attrcount + ARRAY_SIZE(iio_buffer_attrs) + 1,
-                      sizeof(*attr), GFP_KERNEL);
+       attrn = buffer_attrcount + scan_el_attrcount + ARRAY_SIZE(iio_buffer_attrs);
+       attr = kcalloc(attrn + 1, sizeof(* attr), GFP_KERNEL);
        if (!attr) {
                ret = -ENOMEM;
                goto error_free_scan_mask;
                       sizeof(struct attribute *) * buffer_attrcount);
 
        buffer_attrcount += ARRAY_SIZE(iio_buffer_attrs);
-       attr[buffer_attrcount] = NULL;
-
-       buffer->buffer_group.name = "buffer";
-       buffer->buffer_group.attrs = attr;
 
-       ret = iio_device_register_sysfs_group(indio_dev, &buffer->buffer_group);
-       if (ret)
-               goto error_free_buffer_attrs;
+       attrn = buffer_attrcount;
 
-       buffer->scan_el_group.name = iio_scan_elements_group_name;
+       list_for_each_entry(p, &buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list, l)
+               attr[attrn++] = &p->dev_attr.attr;
 
-       buffer->scan_el_group.attrs = kcalloc(scan_el_attrcount + 1,
-                                             sizeof(buffer->scan_el_group.attrs[0]),
-                                             GFP_KERNEL);
-       if (buffer->scan_el_group.attrs == NULL) {
+       buffer->buffer_group.name = kasprintf(GFP_KERNEL, "buffer%d", index);
+       if (!buffer->buffer_group.name) {
                ret = -ENOMEM;
-               goto error_free_scan_mask;
+               goto error_free_buffer_attrs;
        }
-       attrn = 0;
 
-       list_for_each_entry(p, &buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list, l)
-               buffer->scan_el_group.attrs[attrn++] = &p->dev_attr.attr;
+       buffer->buffer_group.attrs = attr;
 
-       ret = iio_device_register_sysfs_group(indio_dev, &buffer->scan_el_group);
+       ret = iio_device_register_sysfs_group(indio_dev, &buffer->buffer_group);
        if (ret)
-               goto error_free_scan_el_attrs;
+               goto error_free_buffer_attr_group_name;
+
+       /* we only need to register the legacy groups for the first buffer */
+       if (index > 0)
+               return 0;
+
+       ret = iio_buffer_register_legacy_sysfs_groups(indio_dev, attr,
+                                                     buffer_attrcount,
+                                                     scan_el_attrcount);
+       if (ret)
+               goto error_free_buffer_attr_group_name;
 
        return 0;
 
-error_free_scan_el_attrs:
-       kfree(buffer->scan_el_group.attrs);
+error_free_buffer_attr_group_name:
+       kfree(buffer->buffer_group.name);
 error_free_buffer_attrs:
        kfree(buffer->buffer_group.attrs);
 error_free_scan_mask:
        if (!buffer)
                return 0;
 
-       return __iio_buffer_alloc_sysfs_and_mask(buffer, indio_dev);
+       return __iio_buffer_alloc_sysfs_and_mask(buffer, indio_dev, 0);
 }
 
 static void __iio_buffer_free_sysfs_and_mask(struct iio_buffer *buffer)
 {
        bitmap_free(buffer->scan_mask);
+       kfree(buffer->buffer_group.name);
        kfree(buffer->buffer_group.attrs);
-       kfree(buffer->scan_el_group.attrs);
        iio_free_chan_devattr_list(&buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list);
 }
 
        if (!buffer)
                return;
 
+       iio_buffer_unregister_legacy_sysfs_groups(indio_dev);
+
        __iio_buffer_free_sysfs_and_mask(buffer);
 }