diff --git a/drivers/net/xen-netback/common.h b/drivers/net/xen-netback/common.h
index a1977430ddfb..5715318d6bab 100644
--- a/drivers/net/xen-netback/common.h
+++ b/drivers/net/xen-netback/common.h
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ int xenvif_connect(struct xenvif *vif, unsigned long tx_ring_ref,
 		   unsigned long rx_ring_ref, unsigned int tx_evtchn,
 		   unsigned int rx_evtchn);
 void xenvif_disconnect(struct xenvif *vif);
+void xenvif_free(struct xenvif *vif);
 
 int xenvif_xenbus_init(void);
 void xenvif_xenbus_fini(void);
diff --git a/drivers/net/xen-netback/interface.c b/drivers/net/xen-netback/interface.c
index 77fee1d51fb2..01bb854c7f62 100644
--- a/drivers/net/xen-netback/interface.c
+++ b/drivers/net/xen-netback/interface.c
@@ -353,6 +353,9 @@ struct xenvif *xenvif_alloc(struct device *parent, domid_t domid,
 	}
 
 	netdev_dbg(dev, "Successfully created xenvif\n");
+
+	__module_get(THIS_MODULE);
+
 	return vif;
 }
 
@@ -366,8 +369,6 @@ int xenvif_connect(struct xenvif *vif, unsigned long tx_ring_ref,
 	if (vif->tx_irq)
 		return 0;
 
-	__module_get(THIS_MODULE);
-
 	err = xenvif_map_frontend_rings(vif, tx_ring_ref, rx_ring_ref);
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto err;
@@ -452,12 +453,6 @@ void xenvif_carrier_off(struct xenvif *vif)
 
 void xenvif_disconnect(struct xenvif *vif)
 {
-	/* Disconnect funtion might get called by generic framework
-	 * even before vif connects, so we need to check if we really
-	 * need to do a module_put.
-	 */
-	int need_module_put = 0;
-
 	if (netif_carrier_ok(vif->dev))
 		xenvif_carrier_off(vif);
 
@@ -468,23 +463,22 @@ void xenvif_disconnect(struct xenvif *vif)
 			unbind_from_irqhandler(vif->tx_irq, vif);
 			unbind_from_irqhandler(vif->rx_irq, vif);
 		}
-		/* vif->irq is valid, we had a module_get in
-		 * xenvif_connect.
-		 */
-		need_module_put = 1;
+		vif->tx_irq = 0;
 	}
 
 	if (vif->task)
 		kthread_stop(vif->task);
 
+	xenvif_unmap_frontend_rings(vif);
+}
+
+void xenvif_free(struct xenvif *vif)
+{
 	netif_napi_del(&vif->napi);
 
 	unregister_netdev(vif->dev);
 
-	xenvif_unmap_frontend_rings(vif);
-
 	free_netdev(vif->dev);
 
-	if (need_module_put)
-		module_put(THIS_MODULE);
+	module_put(THIS_MODULE);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/xen-netback/xenbus.c b/drivers/net/xen-netback/xenbus.c
index 1fe48fe364ed..a53782ef1540 100644
--- a/drivers/net/xen-netback/xenbus.c
+++ b/drivers/net/xen-netback/xenbus.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static int netback_remove(struct xenbus_device *dev)
 	if (be->vif) {
 		kobject_uevent(&dev->dev.kobj, KOBJ_OFFLINE);
 		xenbus_rm(XBT_NIL, dev->nodename, "hotplug-status");
-		xenvif_disconnect(be->vif);
+		xenvif_free(be->vif);
 		be->vif = NULL;
 	}
 	kfree(be);
@@ -213,9 +213,18 @@ static void disconnect_backend(struct xenbus_device *dev)
 {
 	struct backend_info *be = dev_get_drvdata(&dev->dev);
 
-	if (be->vif) {
-		xenbus_rm(XBT_NIL, dev->nodename, "hotplug-status");
+	if (be->vif)
 		xenvif_disconnect(be->vif);
+}
+
+static void destroy_backend(struct xenbus_device *dev)
+{
+	struct backend_info *be = dev_get_drvdata(&dev->dev);
+
+	if (be->vif) {
+		kobject_uevent(&dev->dev.kobj, KOBJ_OFFLINE);
+		xenbus_rm(XBT_NIL, dev->nodename, "hotplug-status");
+		xenvif_free(be->vif);
 		be->vif = NULL;
 	}
 }
@@ -246,14 +255,11 @@ static void frontend_changed(struct xenbus_device *dev,
 	case XenbusStateConnected:
 		if (dev->state == XenbusStateConnected)
 			break;
-		backend_create_xenvif(be);
 		if (be->vif)
 			connect(be);
 		break;
 
 	case XenbusStateClosing:
-		if (be->vif)
-			kobject_uevent(&dev->dev.kobj, KOBJ_OFFLINE);
 		disconnect_backend(dev);
 		xenbus_switch_state(dev, XenbusStateClosing);
 		break;
@@ -262,6 +268,7 @@ static void frontend_changed(struct xenbus_device *dev,
 		xenbus_switch_state(dev, XenbusStateClosed);
 		if (xenbus_dev_is_online(dev))
 			break;
+		destroy_backend(dev);
 		/* fall through if not online */
 	case XenbusStateUnknown:
 		device_unregister(&dev->dev);