diff --git a/sys/cam/scsi/scsi_target.c b/sys/cam/scsi/scsi_target.c
index 6b0742527948..b60c805f6892 100644
--- a/sys/cam/scsi/scsi_target.c
+++ b/sys/cam/scsi/scsi_target.c
@@ -1035,6 +1035,7 @@ targclone(void *arg, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev **dev)
 		return;
 	*dev = make_dev(&targ_cdevsw, unit2minor(u), UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL,
 			0600, "targ%d", u);
+	dev_ref(*dev);
 	(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/coda/coda_fbsd.c b/sys/coda/coda_fbsd.c
index d68b63fb83ea..ac6ad48e8599 100644
--- a/sys/coda/coda_fbsd.c
+++ b/sys/coda/coda_fbsd.c
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ static void coda_fbsd_clone(arg, name, namelen, dev)
 	return;
 
     *dev = make_dev(&codadevsw,unit2minor(u),UID_ROOT,GID_WHEEL,0600,"cfs%d",u);
+    dev_ref(*dev);
     mnt = malloc(sizeof(struct coda_mntinfo), M_CODA, M_WAITOK|M_ZERO);
     LIST_INSERT_HEAD(&coda_mnttbl, mnt, mi_list);
 }
diff --git a/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c b/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c
index 79c74af9fe84..ecd56c414c6d 100644
--- a/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c
+++ b/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c
@@ -875,6 +875,7 @@ fwdev_clone(void *arg, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev **dev)
 	*dev = make_dev(&firewire_cdevsw, MAKEMINOR(devflag[i], unit, sub),
 		       UID_ROOT, GID_OPERATOR, 0660,
 		       "%s%d.%d", devnames[i], unit, sub);
+	dev_ref(*dev);
 	(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
 	dev_depends(sc->dev, *dev);
 	return;
diff --git a/sys/dev/nmdm/nmdm.c b/sys/dev/nmdm/nmdm.c
index cd3b5f372b5a..e61a05f5fa0f 100644
--- a/sys/dev/nmdm/nmdm.c
+++ b/sys/dev/nmdm/nmdm.c
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ nmdm_clone(void *arg, char *name, int nameen, struct cdev **dev)
 		*dev = d1->si_drv2;
 	else
 		*dev = d1;
+	dev_ref(*dev);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/sys/dev/snp/snp.c b/sys/dev/snp/snp.c
index bd4bcac7375c..8be2b199e8b8 100644
--- a/sys/dev/snp/snp.c
+++ b/sys/dev/snp/snp.c
@@ -643,8 +643,10 @@ snp_clone(arg, name, namelen, dev)
 	if (i)
 		*dev = make_dev(&snp_cdevsw, unit2minor(u),
 		     UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0600, "snp%d", u);
-	if (*dev != NULL)
+	if (*dev != NULL) {
+		dev_ref(*dev);
 		(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
+	}
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/dsp.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/dsp.c
index 5d3aa5256e74..689bec609e30 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/dsp.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/dsp.c
@@ -1174,6 +1174,7 @@ dsp_clone(void *arg, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev **dev)
 
 		if ((pdev->si_drv1 == NULL) && (pdev->si_drv2 == NULL)) {
 			*dev = pdev;
+			dev_ref(*dev);
 			return;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/mixer.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/mixer.c
index 58468477af41..9feccf64ea45 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/mixer.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/mixer.c
@@ -494,8 +494,10 @@ mixer_clone(void *arg, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev **dev)
 		return;
 	if (strcmp(name, "mixer") == 0) {
 		sd = devclass_get_softc(pcm_devclass, snd_unit);
-		if (sd != NULL)
+		if (sd != NULL) {
 			*dev = sd->mixer_dev;
+			dev_ref(*dev);
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/dev/vkbd/vkbd.c b/sys/dev/vkbd/vkbd.c
index 57a40eddf7c1..a02dd3ad03af 100644
--- a/sys/dev/vkbd/vkbd.c
+++ b/sys/dev/vkbd/vkbd.c
@@ -168,8 +168,10 @@ vkbd_dev_clone(void *arg, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev **dev)
 	if (clone_create(&vkbd_dev_clones, &vkbd_dev_cdevsw, &unit, dev, 0)) {
 		*dev = make_dev(&vkbd_dev_cdevsw, unit2minor(unit),
 			UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0600, DEVICE_NAME "%d", unit);
-		if (*dev != NULL)
+		if (*dev != NULL) {
+			dev_ref(*dev);
 			(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/fs/coda/coda_fbsd.c b/sys/fs/coda/coda_fbsd.c
index d68b63fb83ea..ac6ad48e8599 100644
--- a/sys/fs/coda/coda_fbsd.c
+++ b/sys/fs/coda/coda_fbsd.c
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ static void coda_fbsd_clone(arg, name, namelen, dev)
 	return;
 
     *dev = make_dev(&codadevsw,unit2minor(u),UID_ROOT,GID_WHEEL,0600,"cfs%d",u);
+    dev_ref(*dev);
     mnt = malloc(sizeof(struct coda_mntinfo), M_CODA, M_WAITOK|M_ZERO);
     LIST_INSERT_HEAD(&coda_mnttbl, mnt, mi_list);
 }
diff --git a/sys/fs/devfs/devfs_vnops.c b/sys/fs/devfs/devfs_vnops.c
index 8c100effa319..90139c2272ee 100644
--- a/sys/fs/devfs/devfs_vnops.c
+++ b/sys/fs/devfs/devfs_vnops.c
@@ -655,6 +655,7 @@ devfs_lookupx(ap)
 	devfs_populate(dmp);
 
 	dde = devfs_itode(dmp, cdev->si_inode);
+	dev_rel(cdev);
 
 	if (dde == NULL || *dde == NULL || *dde == DE_DELETED)
 		goto notfound;
diff --git a/sys/kern/tty_pty.c b/sys/kern/tty_pty.c
index 21d47e27a845..3a53294a735d 100644
--- a/sys/kern/tty_pty.c
+++ b/sys/kern/tty_pty.c
@@ -710,6 +710,7 @@ pty_clone(void *arg, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev **dev)
 		return;
 	*dev = make_dev(&ptc_cdevsw, u,
 	    UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0666, "pty%c%r", names[u / 32], u % 32);
+	dev_ref(*dev);
 	(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
 	return;
 }
diff --git a/sys/kern/tty_tty.c b/sys/kern/tty_tty.c
index c813211ee8ed..8951e99b263b 100644
--- a/sys/kern/tty_tty.c
+++ b/sys/kern/tty_tty.c
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ ctty_clone(void *arg, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev **dev)
 		*dev = ctty;
 	else
 		*dev = curthread->td_proc->p_session->s_ttyvp->v_rdev;
+	dev_ref(*dev);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/sys/net/bpf.c b/sys/net/bpf.c
index 7708504b31a1..3cce6e8871c1 100644
--- a/sys/net/bpf.c
+++ b/sys/net/bpf.c
@@ -1605,6 +1605,7 @@ bpf_clone(arg, name, namelen, dev)
 		return;
 	*dev = make_dev(&bpf_cdevsw, unit2minor(u), UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0600,
 	    "bpf%d", u);
+	dev_ref(*dev);
 	(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
 	return;
 }
diff --git a/sys/net/if_tap.c b/sys/net/if_tap.c
index 46fd2762fadf..601b95d73023 100644
--- a/sys/net/if_tap.c
+++ b/sys/net/if_tap.c
@@ -253,8 +253,10 @@ tapclone(arg, name, namelen, dev)
 	if (i) {
 		*dev = make_dev(&tap_cdevsw, unit2minor(unit | extra),
 		     UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0600, "%s%d", device_name, unit);
-		if (*dev != NULL)
+		if (*dev != NULL) {
+			dev_ref(*dev);
 			(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
+		}
 	}
 } /* tapclone */
 
diff --git a/sys/net/if_tun.c b/sys/net/if_tun.c
index 8936110ee8e0..6fe7b10c96b3 100644
--- a/sys/net/if_tun.c
+++ b/sys/net/if_tun.c
@@ -155,8 +155,10 @@ tunclone(void *arg, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev **dev)
 		/* No preexisting struct cdev *, create one */
 		*dev = make_dev(&tun_cdevsw, unit2minor(u),
 		    UID_UUCP, GID_DIALER, 0600, "tun%d", u);
-		if (*dev != NULL)
+		if (*dev != NULL) {
+			dev_ref(*dev);
 			(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/netsmb/smb_dev.c b/sys/netsmb/smb_dev.c
index 5a3dbf70a40c..89a167666ca2 100644
--- a/sys/netsmb/smb_dev.c
+++ b/sys/netsmb/smb_dev.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ nsmb_dev_clone(void *arg, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev **dev)
 		return;
 	*dev = make_dev(&nsmb_cdevsw, unit2minor(u), 0, 0, 0600,
 	    NSMB_NAME"%d", u);
+	dev_ref(*dev);
 }
 
 static int