dma_chan_get() takes chan->device->ref only on the slow path:

	/* no kref on fast path */
	if (chan->client_count) {
		__module_get(owner);
		chan->client_count++;
		return 0;
	}
	if (!try_module_get(owner))
		return -ENODEV;
	ret = kref_get_unless_zero(&chan->device->ref);

dma_chan_put() drops the ref unconditionally, so every fast-path
get/put pair drops one extra device reference.

The bug fires when two conditions hold together: a non-private
provider has a persistent client holding chan->client_count > 0
and another client cycles dmaengine_get()/dmaengine_put().
When the kref hits zero, the subsequent dma_find_channel() returns
NULL even though the provider module is still loaded.

Fix this by dropping device->ref only on the last put, matching the
single slow-path get.

Fixes: 8ad342a86359 ("dmaengine: Add reference counting to dma_device struct")
Signed-off-by: Shivank Garg <shivankg@amd.com>
---
 drivers/dma/dmaengine.c | 4 +++-
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/drivers/dma/dmaengine.c b/drivers/dma/dmaengine.c
index 405bd2fbb4a3b94fd0bf44526f656f6a19feaad0..605bfa477a004cc0b03957ffb85a52308f903441 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/dmaengine.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/dmaengine.c
@@ -515,7 +515,9 @@ static void dma_chan_put(struct dma_chan *chan)
 		chan->route_data = NULL;
 	}
 
-	dma_device_put(chan->device);
+	/* This channel is not in use anymore, drop the device ref */
+	if (!chan->client_count)
+		dma_device_put(chan->device);
 	module_put(dma_chan_to_owner(chan));
 }
 

---
base-commit: 5200f5f493f79f14bbdc349e402a40dfb32f23c8
change-id: 20260518-dmaengine-kref-fix-7b21acb09455

Best regards,
-- 
Shivank Garg <shivankg@amd.com>