diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
index 9c46147e3506..f10251055c2b 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c
@@ -1796,6 +1796,15 @@ void i2c_del_adapter(struct i2c_adapter *adap)
 	/* device name is gone after device_unregister */
 	dev_dbg(&adap->dev, "adapter [%s] unregistered\n", adap->name);
 
+	/*
+	 * Remove from IDR before device_unregister() so that a concurrent
+	 * i2c_get_adapter() cannot find this adapter (via idr_find) and call
+	 * get_device() on a kobject whose refcount has already reached zero.
+	 */
+	mutex_lock(&core_lock);
+	idr_remove(&i2c_adapter_idr, adap->nr);
+	mutex_unlock(&core_lock);
+
 	pm_runtime_disable(&adap->dev);
 
 	i2c_host_notify_irq_teardown(adap);
@@ -1813,11 +1822,6 @@ void i2c_del_adapter(struct i2c_adapter *adap)
 	device_unregister(&adap->dev);
 	wait_for_completion(&adap->dev_released);
 
-	/* free bus id */
-	mutex_lock(&core_lock);
-	idr_remove(&i2c_adapter_idr, adap->nr);
-	mutex_unlock(&core_lock);
-
 	/* Clear the device structure in case this adapter is ever going to be
 	   added again */
 	memset(&adap->dev, 0, sizeof(adap->dev));