#include <linux/ip.h>
 #include <linux/ipv6.h>
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
+#include <linux/kref.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/lockdep.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
        return tvlv_handler;
 }
 
+/**
+ * batadv_tvlv_container_release - release tvlv from lists and free
+ * @ref: kref pointer of the tvlv
+ */
+static void batadv_tvlv_container_release(struct kref *ref)
+{
+       struct batadv_tvlv_container *tvlv;
+
+       tvlv = container_of(ref, struct batadv_tvlv_container, refcount);
+       kfree(tvlv);
+}
+
 /**
  * batadv_tvlv_container_free_ref - decrement the tvlv container refcounter and
- *  possibly free it
+ *  possibly release it
  * @tvlv: the tvlv container to free
  */
 static void batadv_tvlv_container_free_ref(struct batadv_tvlv_container *tvlv)
 {
-       if (atomic_dec_and_test(&tvlv->refcount))
-               kfree(tvlv);
+       kref_put(&tvlv->refcount, batadv_tvlv_container_release);
 }
 
 /**
                if (tvlv_tmp->tvlv_hdr.version != version)
                        continue;
 
-               if (!atomic_inc_not_zero(&tvlv_tmp->refcount))
+               if (!kref_get_unless_zero(&tvlv_tmp->refcount))
                        continue;
 
                tvlv = tvlv_tmp;
 
        memcpy(tvlv_new + 1, tvlv_value, ntohs(tvlv_new->tvlv_hdr.len));
        INIT_HLIST_NODE(&tvlv_new->list);
-       atomic_set(&tvlv_new->refcount, 1);
+       kref_init(&tvlv_new->refcount);
 
        spin_lock_bh(&bat_priv->tvlv.container_list_lock);
        tvlv_old = batadv_tvlv_container_get(bat_priv, type, version);