diff --git a/drivers/target/target_core_user.c b/drivers/target/target_core_user.c
index 76f02b24e0cb2c8c63cad831f11360cab3f61baf..b7ffdcaa15050de1ada636a9bd3a7b96634f4cc9 100644
--- a/drivers/target/target_core_user.c
+++ b/drivers/target/target_core_user.c
@@ -1740,6 +1740,27 @@ static struct page *tcmu_try_get_block_page(struct tcmu_dev *udev, uint32_t dbi)
 	return page;
 }
 
+static void tcmu_dev_kref_release(struct kref *kref);
+
+static void tcmu_vma_open(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
+{
+	struct tcmu_dev *udev = vma->vm_private_data;
+
+	pr_debug("vma_open\n");
+
+	kref_get(&udev->kref);
+}
+
+static void tcmu_vma_close(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
+{
+	struct tcmu_dev *udev = vma->vm_private_data;
+
+	pr_debug("vma_close\n");
+
+	/* release ref from tcmu_vma_open */
+	kref_put(&udev->kref, tcmu_dev_kref_release);
+}
+
 static vm_fault_t tcmu_vma_fault(struct vm_fault *vmf)
 {
 	struct tcmu_dev *udev = vmf->vma->vm_private_data;
@@ -1778,6 +1799,8 @@ static vm_fault_t tcmu_vma_fault(struct vm_fault *vmf)
 }
 
 static const struct vm_operations_struct tcmu_vm_ops = {
+	.open = tcmu_vma_open,
+	.close = tcmu_vma_close,
 	.fault = tcmu_vma_fault,
 };
 
@@ -1794,6 +1817,8 @@ static int tcmu_mmap(struct uio_info *info, struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 	if (vma_pages(vma) != (udev->ring_size >> PAGE_SHIFT))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	tcmu_vma_open(vma);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1806,7 +1831,6 @@ static int tcmu_open(struct uio_info *info, struct inode *inode)
 		return -EBUSY;
 
 	udev->inode = inode;
-	kref_get(&udev->kref);
 
 	pr_debug("open\n");
 
@@ -1877,6 +1901,8 @@ static void tcmu_dev_kref_release(struct kref *kref)
 	kfree(udev->zc_data_bitmap);
 	mutex_unlock(&udev->cmdr_lock);
 
+	pr_debug("dev_kref_release\n");
+
 	call_rcu(&dev->rcu_head, tcmu_dev_call_rcu);
 }
 
@@ -1990,8 +2016,7 @@ static int tcmu_release(struct uio_info *info, struct inode *inode)
 	clear_bit(TCMU_DEV_BIT_OPEN, &udev->flags);
 
 	pr_debug("close\n");
-	/* release ref from open */
-	kref_put(&udev->kref, tcmu_dev_kref_release);
+
 	return 0;
 }