diff --git a/Documentation/vfio-mediated-device.txt b/Documentation/vfio-mediated-device.txt
index 1b3950346532..c3f69bcaf96e 100644
--- a/Documentation/vfio-mediated-device.txt
+++ b/Documentation/vfio-mediated-device.txt
@@ -145,6 +145,11 @@ The functions in the mdev_parent_ops structure are as follows:
 * create: allocate basic resources in a driver for a mediated device
 * remove: free resources in a driver when a mediated device is destroyed
 
+(Note that mdev-core provides no implicit serialization of create/remove
+callbacks per mdev parent device, per mdev type, or any other categorization.
+Vendor drivers are expected to be fully asynchronous in this respect or
+provide their own internal resource protection.)
+
 The callbacks in the mdev_parent_ops structure are as follows:
 
 * open: open callback of mediated device
diff --git a/drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_core.c b/drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_core.c
index 126991046eb7..0212f0ee8aea 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_core.c
+++ b/drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_core.c
@@ -66,34 +66,6 @@ uuid_le mdev_uuid(struct mdev_device *mdev)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(mdev_uuid);
 
-static int _find_mdev_device(struct device *dev, void *data)
-{
-	struct mdev_device *mdev;
-
-	if (!dev_is_mdev(dev))
-		return 0;
-
-	mdev = to_mdev_device(dev);
-
-	if (uuid_le_cmp(mdev->uuid, *(uuid_le *)data) == 0)
-		return 1;
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static bool mdev_device_exist(struct mdev_parent *parent, uuid_le uuid)
-{
-	struct device *dev;
-
-	dev = device_find_child(parent->dev, &uuid, _find_mdev_device);
-	if (dev) {
-		put_device(dev);
-		return true;
-	}
-
-	return false;
-}
-
 /* Should be called holding parent_list_lock */
 static struct mdev_parent *__find_parent_device(struct device *dev)
 {
@@ -221,7 +193,6 @@ int mdev_register_device(struct device *dev, const struct mdev_parent_ops *ops)
 	}
 
 	kref_init(&parent->ref);
-	mutex_init(&parent->lock);
 
 	parent->dev = dev;
 	parent->ops = ops;
@@ -297,6 +268,10 @@ static void mdev_device_release(struct device *dev)
 {
 	struct mdev_device *mdev = to_mdev_device(dev);
 
+	mutex_lock(&mdev_list_lock);
+	list_del(&mdev->next);
+	mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
+
 	dev_dbg(&mdev->dev, "MDEV: destroying\n");
 	kfree(mdev);
 }
@@ -304,7 +279,7 @@ static void mdev_device_release(struct device *dev)
 int mdev_device_create(struct kobject *kobj, struct device *dev, uuid_le uuid)
 {
 	int ret;
-	struct mdev_device *mdev;
+	struct mdev_device *mdev, *tmp;
 	struct mdev_parent *parent;
 	struct mdev_type *type = to_mdev_type(kobj);
 
@@ -312,21 +287,28 @@ int mdev_device_create(struct kobject *kobj, struct device *dev, uuid_le uuid)
 	if (!parent)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	mutex_lock(&parent->lock);
+	mutex_lock(&mdev_list_lock);
 
 	/* Check for duplicate */
-	if (mdev_device_exist(parent, uuid)) {
-		ret = -EEXIST;
-		goto create_err;
+	list_for_each_entry(tmp, &mdev_list, next) {
+		if (!uuid_le_cmp(tmp->uuid, uuid)) {
+			mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
+			ret = -EEXIST;
+			goto mdev_fail;
+		}
 	}
 
 	mdev = kzalloc(sizeof(*mdev), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!mdev) {
+		mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
-		goto create_err;
+		goto mdev_fail;
 	}
 
 	memcpy(&mdev->uuid, &uuid, sizeof(uuid_le));
+	list_add(&mdev->next, &mdev_list);
+	mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
+
 	mdev->parent = parent;
 	kref_init(&mdev->ref);
 
@@ -338,35 +320,28 @@ int mdev_device_create(struct kobject *kobj, struct device *dev, uuid_le uuid)
 	ret = device_register(&mdev->dev);
 	if (ret) {
 		put_device(&mdev->dev);
-		goto create_err;
+		goto mdev_fail;
 	}
 
 	ret = mdev_device_create_ops(kobj, mdev);
 	if (ret)
-		goto create_failed;
+		goto create_fail;
 
 	ret = mdev_create_sysfs_files(&mdev->dev, type);
 	if (ret) {
 		mdev_device_remove_ops(mdev, true);
-		goto create_failed;
+		goto create_fail;
 	}
 
 	mdev->type_kobj = kobj;
+	mdev->active = true;
 	dev_dbg(&mdev->dev, "MDEV: created\n");
 
-	mutex_unlock(&parent->lock);
-
-	mutex_lock(&mdev_list_lock);
-	list_add(&mdev->next, &mdev_list);
-	mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
-
-	return ret;
+	return 0;
 
-create_failed:
+create_fail:
 	device_unregister(&mdev->dev);
-
-create_err:
-	mutex_unlock(&parent->lock);
+mdev_fail:
 	mdev_put_parent(parent);
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -377,44 +352,39 @@ int mdev_device_remove(struct device *dev, bool force_remove)
 	struct mdev_parent *parent;
 	struct mdev_type *type;
 	int ret;
-	bool found = false;
 
 	mdev = to_mdev_device(dev);
 
 	mutex_lock(&mdev_list_lock);
 	list_for_each_entry(tmp, &mdev_list, next) {
-		if (tmp == mdev) {
-			found = true;
+		if (tmp == mdev)
 			break;
-		}
 	}
 
-	if (found)
-		list_del(&mdev->next);
+	if (tmp != mdev) {
+		mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
 
-	mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
+	if (!mdev->active) {
+		mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
+		return -EAGAIN;
+	}
 
-	if (!found)
-		return -ENODEV;
+	mdev->active = false;
+	mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
 
 	type = to_mdev_type(mdev->type_kobj);
 	parent = mdev->parent;
-	mutex_lock(&parent->lock);
 
 	ret = mdev_device_remove_ops(mdev, force_remove);
 	if (ret) {
-		mutex_unlock(&parent->lock);
-
-		mutex_lock(&mdev_list_lock);
-		list_add(&mdev->next, &mdev_list);
-		mutex_unlock(&mdev_list_lock);
-
+		mdev->active = true;
 		return ret;
 	}
 
 	mdev_remove_sysfs_files(dev, type);
 	device_unregister(dev);
-	mutex_unlock(&parent->lock);
 	mdev_put_parent(parent);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_private.h b/drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_private.h
index a9cefd70a705..b5819b7d7ef7 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_private.h
+++ b/drivers/vfio/mdev/mdev_private.h
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ struct mdev_parent {
 	struct device *dev;
 	const struct mdev_parent_ops *ops;
 	struct kref ref;
-	struct mutex lock;
 	struct list_head next;
 	struct kset *mdev_types_kset;
 	struct list_head type_list;
@@ -34,6 +33,7 @@ struct mdev_device {
 	struct kref ref;
 	struct list_head next;
 	struct kobject *type_kobj;
+	bool active;
 };
 
 #define to_mdev_device(dev)	container_of(dev, struct mdev_device, dev)
