diff --git a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c
index 9d15566521a7..fa8f5046afe9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c
@@ -269,9 +269,9 @@ static void ppp_ccp_peek(struct ppp *ppp, struct sk_buff *skb, int inbound);
 static void ppp_ccp_closed(struct ppp *ppp);
 static struct compressor *find_compressor(int type);
 static void ppp_get_stats(struct ppp *ppp, struct ppp_stats *st);
-static struct ppp *ppp_create_interface(struct net *net, int unit, int *retp);
+static struct ppp *ppp_create_interface(struct net *net, int unit,
+					struct file *file, int *retp);
 static void init_ppp_file(struct ppp_file *pf, int kind);
-static void ppp_shutdown_interface(struct ppp *ppp);
 static void ppp_destroy_interface(struct ppp *ppp);
 static struct ppp *ppp_find_unit(struct ppp_net *pn, int unit);
 static struct channel *ppp_find_channel(struct ppp_net *pn, int unit);
@@ -392,8 +392,10 @@ static int ppp_release(struct inode *unused, struct file *file)
 		file->private_data = NULL;
 		if (pf->kind == INTERFACE) {
 			ppp = PF_TO_PPP(pf);
+			rtnl_lock();
 			if (file == ppp->owner)
-				ppp_shutdown_interface(ppp);
+				unregister_netdevice(ppp->dev);
+			rtnl_unlock();
 		}
 		if (atomic_dec_and_test(&pf->refcnt)) {
 			switch (pf->kind) {
@@ -593,8 +595,10 @@ static long ppp_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 		mutex_lock(&ppp_mutex);
 		if (pf->kind == INTERFACE) {
 			ppp = PF_TO_PPP(pf);
+			rtnl_lock();
 			if (file == ppp->owner)
-				ppp_shutdown_interface(ppp);
+				unregister_netdevice(ppp->dev);
+			rtnl_unlock();
 		}
 		if (atomic_long_read(&file->f_count) < 2) {
 			ppp_release(NULL, file);
@@ -838,11 +842,10 @@ static int ppp_unattached_ioctl(struct net *net, struct ppp_file *pf,
 		/* Create a new ppp unit */
 		if (get_user(unit, p))
 			break;
-		ppp = ppp_create_interface(net, unit, &err);
+		ppp = ppp_create_interface(net, unit, file, &err);
 		if (!ppp)
 			break;
 		file->private_data = &ppp->file;
-		ppp->owner = file;
 		err = -EFAULT;
 		if (put_user(ppp->file.index, p))
 			break;
@@ -916,6 +919,16 @@ static __net_init int ppp_init_net(struct net *net)
 static __net_exit void ppp_exit_net(struct net *net)
 {
 	struct ppp_net *pn = net_generic(net, ppp_net_id);
+	struct ppp *ppp;
+	LIST_HEAD(list);
+	int id;
+
+	rtnl_lock();
+	idr_for_each_entry(&pn->units_idr, ppp, id)
+		unregister_netdevice_queue(ppp->dev, &list);
+
+	unregister_netdevice_many(&list);
+	rtnl_unlock();
 
 	idr_destroy(&pn->units_idr);
 }
@@ -1088,8 +1101,28 @@ static int ppp_dev_init(struct net_device *dev)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static void ppp_dev_uninit(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	struct ppp *ppp = netdev_priv(dev);
+	struct ppp_net *pn = ppp_pernet(ppp->ppp_net);
+
+	ppp_lock(ppp);
+	ppp->closing = 1;
+	ppp_unlock(ppp);
+
+	mutex_lock(&pn->all_ppp_mutex);
+	unit_put(&pn->units_idr, ppp->file.index);
+	mutex_unlock(&pn->all_ppp_mutex);
+
+	ppp->owner = NULL;
+
+	ppp->file.dead = 1;
+	wake_up_interruptible(&ppp->file.rwait);
+}
+
 static const struct net_device_ops ppp_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_init	 = ppp_dev_init,
+	.ndo_uninit      = ppp_dev_uninit,
 	.ndo_start_xmit  = ppp_start_xmit,
 	.ndo_do_ioctl    = ppp_net_ioctl,
 	.ndo_get_stats64 = ppp_get_stats64,
@@ -2667,8 +2700,8 @@ ppp_get_stats(struct ppp *ppp, struct ppp_stats *st)
  * or if there is already a unit with the requested number.
  * unit == -1 means allocate a new number.
  */
-static struct ppp *
-ppp_create_interface(struct net *net, int unit, int *retp)
+static struct ppp *ppp_create_interface(struct net *net, int unit,
+					struct file *file, int *retp)
 {
 	struct ppp *ppp;
 	struct ppp_net *pn;
@@ -2688,6 +2721,7 @@ ppp_create_interface(struct net *net, int unit, int *retp)
 	ppp->mru = PPP_MRU;
 	init_ppp_file(&ppp->file, INTERFACE);
 	ppp->file.hdrlen = PPP_HDRLEN - 2;	/* don't count proto bytes */
+	ppp->owner = file;
 	for (i = 0; i < NUM_NP; ++i)
 		ppp->npmode[i] = NPMODE_PASS;
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ppp->channels);
@@ -2775,34 +2809,6 @@ init_ppp_file(struct ppp_file *pf, int kind)
 	init_waitqueue_head(&pf->rwait);
 }
 
-/*
- * Take down a ppp interface unit - called when the owning file
- * (the one that created the unit) is closed or detached.
- */
-static void ppp_shutdown_interface(struct ppp *ppp)
-{
-	struct ppp_net *pn;
-
-	pn = ppp_pernet(ppp->ppp_net);
-	mutex_lock(&pn->all_ppp_mutex);
-
-	/* This will call dev_close() for us. */
-	ppp_lock(ppp);
-	if (!ppp->closing) {
-		ppp->closing = 1;
-		ppp_unlock(ppp);
-		unregister_netdev(ppp->dev);
-		unit_put(&pn->units_idr, ppp->file.index);
-	} else
-		ppp_unlock(ppp);
-
-	ppp->file.dead = 1;
-	ppp->owner = NULL;
-	wake_up_interruptible(&ppp->file.rwait);
-
-	mutex_unlock(&pn->all_ppp_mutex);
-}
-
 /*
  * Free the memory used by a ppp unit.  This is only called once
  * there are no channels connected to the unit and no file structs