diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/include/lustre_net.h b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/include/lustre_net.h
index 108683c54127..d35ae0cda8d2 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/include/lustre_net.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/include/lustre_net.h
@@ -1804,6 +1804,9 @@ int ptlrpc_register_rqbd(struct ptlrpc_request_buffer_desc *rqbd);
  */
 void ptlrpc_request_committed(struct ptlrpc_request *req, int force);
 
+int ptlrpc_inc_ref(void);
+void ptlrpc_dec_ref(void);
+
 void ptlrpc_init_client(int req_portal, int rep_portal, char *name,
 			struct ptlrpc_client *);
 struct ptlrpc_connection *ptlrpc_uuid_to_connection(struct obd_uuid *uuid);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/ldlm/ldlm_lockd.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/ldlm/ldlm_lockd.c
index 58913e628124..c772c68e5a49 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/ldlm/ldlm_lockd.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/ldlm/ldlm_lockd.c
@@ -869,6 +869,10 @@ int ldlm_get_ref(void)
 {
 	int rc = 0;
 
+	rc = ptlrpc_inc_ref();
+	if (rc)
+		return rc;
+
 	mutex_lock(&ldlm_ref_mutex);
 	if (++ldlm_refcount == 1) {
 		rc = ldlm_setup();
@@ -877,14 +881,18 @@ int ldlm_get_ref(void)
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&ldlm_ref_mutex);
 
+	if (rc)
+		ptlrpc_dec_ref();
+
 	return rc;
 }
 
 void ldlm_put_ref(void)
 {
+	int rc = 0;
 	mutex_lock(&ldlm_ref_mutex);
 	if (ldlm_refcount == 1) {
-		int rc = ldlm_cleanup();
+		rc = ldlm_cleanup();
 
 		if (rc)
 			CERROR("ldlm_cleanup failed: %d\n", rc);
@@ -894,6 +902,8 @@ void ldlm_put_ref(void)
 		ldlm_refcount--;
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&ldlm_ref_mutex);
+	if (!rc)
+		ptlrpc_dec_ref();
 }
 
 static ssize_t cancel_unused_locks_before_replay_show(struct kobject *kobj,
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/llite_lib.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/llite_lib.c
index bc5d6b6ac429..e7500c53fafc 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/llite_lib.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/llite_lib.c
@@ -879,9 +879,15 @@ int ll_fill_super(struct super_block *sb)
 
 	CDEBUG(D_VFSTRACE, "VFS Op: sb %p\n", sb);
 
+	err = ptlrpc_inc_ref();
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
 	cfg = kzalloc(sizeof(*cfg), GFP_NOFS);
-	if (!cfg)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+	if (!cfg) {
+		err = -ENOMEM;
+		goto out_put;
+	}
 
 	try_module_get(THIS_MODULE);
 
@@ -891,7 +897,8 @@ int ll_fill_super(struct super_block *sb)
 	if (!sbi) {
 		module_put(THIS_MODULE);
 		kfree(cfg);
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		err = -ENOMEM;
+		goto out_put;
 	}
 
 	err = ll_options(lsi->lsi_lmd->lmd_opts, &sbi->ll_flags);
@@ -958,6 +965,9 @@ int ll_fill_super(struct super_block *sb)
 		LCONSOLE_WARN("Mounted %s\n", profilenm);
 
 	kfree(cfg);
+out_put:
+	if (err)
+		ptlrpc_dec_ref();
 	return err;
 } /* ll_fill_super */
 
@@ -1028,6 +1038,8 @@ void ll_put_super(struct super_block *sb)
 	cl_env_cache_purge(~0);
 
 	module_put(THIS_MODULE);
+
+	ptlrpc_dec_ref();
 } /* client_put_super */
 
 struct inode *ll_inode_from_resource_lock(struct ldlm_lock *lock)
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/ptlrpc/ptlrpc_module.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/ptlrpc/ptlrpc_module.c
index 131fc6d9646e..38923418669f 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/ptlrpc/ptlrpc_module.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/ptlrpc/ptlrpc_module.c
@@ -45,6 +45,42 @@ extern spinlock_t ptlrpc_last_xid_lock;
 extern spinlock_t ptlrpc_rs_debug_lock;
 #endif
 
+DEFINE_MUTEX(ptlrpc_startup);
+static int ptlrpc_active = 0;
+
+int ptlrpc_inc_ref(void)
+{
+	int rc = 0;
+
+	mutex_lock(&ptlrpc_startup);
+	if (ptlrpc_active++ == 0) {
+		ptlrpc_put_connection_superhack = ptlrpc_connection_put;
+
+		rc = ptlrpc_init_portals();
+		if (!rc) {
+			rc= ptlrpc_start_pinger();
+			if (rc)
+				ptlrpc_exit_portals();
+		}
+		if (rc)
+			ptlrpc_active--;
+	}
+	mutex_unlock(&ptlrpc_startup);
+	return rc;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(ptlrpc_inc_ref);
+
+void ptlrpc_dec_ref(void)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&ptlrpc_startup);
+	if (--ptlrpc_active == 0) {
+		ptlrpc_stop_pinger();
+		ptlrpc_exit_portals();
+	}
+	mutex_unlock(&ptlrpc_startup);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(ptlrpc_dec_ref);
+
 static int __init ptlrpc_init(void)
 {
 	int rc, cleanup_phase = 0;
@@ -71,24 +107,12 @@ static int __init ptlrpc_init(void)
 	if (rc)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	cleanup_phase = 2;
-	rc = ptlrpc_init_portals();
-	if (rc)
-		goto cleanup;
-
 	cleanup_phase = 3;
 
 	rc = ptlrpc_connection_init();
 	if (rc)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	cleanup_phase = 4;
-	ptlrpc_put_connection_superhack = ptlrpc_connection_put;
-
-	rc = ptlrpc_start_pinger();
-	if (rc)
-		goto cleanup;
-
 	cleanup_phase = 5;
 	rc = ldlm_init();
 	if (rc)
@@ -122,15 +146,9 @@ static int __init ptlrpc_init(void)
 		ldlm_exit();
 		/* Fall through */
 	case 5:
-		ptlrpc_stop_pinger();
-		/* Fall through */
-	case 4:
 		ptlrpc_connection_fini();
 		/* Fall through */
 	case 3:
-		ptlrpc_exit_portals();
-		/* Fall through */
-	case 2:
 		ptlrpc_request_cache_fini();
 		/* Fall through */
 	case 1:
@@ -150,8 +168,6 @@ static void __exit ptlrpc_exit(void)
 	ptlrpc_nrs_fini();
 	sptlrpc_fini();
 	ldlm_exit();
-	ptlrpc_stop_pinger();
-	ptlrpc_exit_portals();
 	ptlrpc_request_cache_fini();
 	ptlrpc_hr_fini();
 	ptlrpc_connection_fini();