diff --git a/drivers/block/aoe/aoe.h b/drivers/block/aoe/aoe.h
index 749ae1246f4c..a6d954562794 100644
--- a/drivers/block/aoe/aoe.h
+++ b/drivers/block/aoe/aoe.h
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /* Copyright (c) 2013 Coraid, Inc.  See COPYING for GPL terms. */
 #include <linux/blk-mq.h>
+#include <linux/netdevice.h>
 
 #define VERSION "85"
 #define AOE_MAJOR 152
@@ -133,6 +134,9 @@ struct aoeif {
 	struct net_device *nd;
 	ulong lost;
 	int bcnt;
+#ifdef DEBUG
+	int __percpu *nd_pcpu_refcnt;
+#endif
 };
 
 struct aoetgt {
@@ -238,6 +242,7 @@ void aoedev_downdev(struct aoedev *d);
 int aoedev_flush(const char __user *str, size_t size);
 void aoe_failbuf(struct aoedev *, struct buf *);
 void aoedev_put(struct aoedev *);
+struct aoeif *get_aoeif(struct net_device *nd);
 
 int aoenet_init(void);
 void aoenet_exit(void);
@@ -246,3 +251,82 @@ int is_aoe_netif(struct net_device *ifp);
 int set_aoe_iflist(const char __user *str, size_t size);
 
 extern struct workqueue_struct *aoe_wq;
+
+#ifdef DEBUG
+static inline int aoeif_nd_refcnt_read(const struct aoeif *ifp)
+{
+       int i, refcnt = 0;
+
+       for_each_possible_cpu(i)
+               refcnt += *per_cpu_ptr(ifp->nd_pcpu_refcnt, i);
+       return refcnt;
+}
+
+static inline void aoeif_nd_refcnt_free(struct aoeif *ifp)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	if(!ifp)
+		return;
+	if (ifp->nd)
+		pr_info("aoe: %s->refcnt: %d, aoeif->nd_refcnt: %d\n",
+			ifp->nd->name, netdev_refcnt_read(ifp->nd),
+			aoeif_nd_refcnt_read(ifp));
+	else
+		pr_info("aoe: aoeif->nd_refcnt: %d\n", aoeif_nd_refcnt_read(ifp));
+
+	for_each_possible_cpu(i)
+		*per_cpu_ptr(ifp->nd_pcpu_refcnt, i) = 0;
+	free_percpu(ifp->nd_pcpu_refcnt);
+	ifp->nd_pcpu_refcnt = NULL;
+}
+
+/* ifi aoeif input, nb be set to aoeif or in the future will be set */
+static inline void __nd_dev_hold(const char *str, struct net_device *nd, struct aoeif *ifi)
+{
+	struct aoeif *ifp;
+
+	if (!nd)
+		return;
+	dev_hold(nd);
+	ifp = ifi? ifi:get_aoeif(nd);
+	if (ifp) {
+		this_cpu_inc(*ifp->nd_pcpu_refcnt);
+		pr_debug("aoe: %s dev_hold %s->refcnt: %d, aoeif->nd_refcnt: %d\n",
+			 str, nd->name, netdev_refcnt_read(nd),
+			 aoeif_nd_refcnt_read(ifp));
+	} else
+		pr_debug("aoe: %s dev_hold %s->refcnt: %d\n",
+			 str, nd->name, netdev_refcnt_read(nd));
+}
+#define nd_dev_hold(msg, ifi) __nd_dev_hold(__FUNCTION__, (msg), (ifi))
+
+static inline void __nd_dev_put(const char *str, struct net_device *nd, struct aoeif *ifi)
+{
+	struct aoeif *ifp;
+
+	if (!nd)
+		return;
+	dev_put(nd);
+	ifp = ifi? ifi:get_aoeif(nd);
+	if (ifp) {
+		this_cpu_dec(*ifp->nd_pcpu_refcnt);
+		pr_debug("aoe: %s dev_put %s->refcnt: %d, aoeif->nd_refcnt: %d\n",
+			 str, nd->name, netdev_refcnt_read(nd),
+			 aoeif_nd_refcnt_read(ifp));
+	} else
+		pr_debug("aoe: %s dev_put %s->refcnt: %d\n",
+			 str, nd->name, netdev_refcnt_read(nd));
+}
+#define nd_dev_put(msg, ifi) __nd_dev_put(__FUNCTION__, (msg), (ifi))
+#else
+static inline void nd_dev_put(struct net_device *nd, struct aoeif *ifi)
+{
+	dev_hold(nd);
+}
+static inline void nd_dev_hold(struct net_device *nd, struct aoeif *ifi)
+{
+       dev_put(nd);
+}
+static inline void aoeif_nd_refcnt_free(const struct aoeif *ifp) {}
+#endif // DEBUG
diff --git a/drivers/block/aoe/aoeblk.c b/drivers/block/aoe/aoeblk.c
index 2028795ec61c..19d62ccca1e9 100644
--- a/drivers/block/aoe/aoeblk.c
+++ b/drivers/block/aoe/aoeblk.c
@@ -142,7 +142,12 @@ static int aoe_debugfs_show(struct seq_file *s, void *ignored)
 		ifp = (*t)->ifs;
 		ife = ifp + ARRAY_SIZE((*t)->ifs);
 		for (; ifp->nd && ifp < ife; ifp++) {
+#ifdef DEBUG
+			seq_printf(s, "%c%s:%d", c, ifp->nd->name,
+					aoeif_nd_refcnt_read(ifp));
+#else
 			seq_printf(s, "%c%s", c, ifp->nd->name);
+#endif
 			c = ',';
 		}
 		seq_puts(s, "\n");
diff --git a/drivers/block/aoe/aoedev.c b/drivers/block/aoe/aoedev.c
index 3523dd82d7a0..9781488b286b 100644
--- a/drivers/block/aoe/aoedev.c
+++ b/drivers/block/aoe/aoedev.c
@@ -529,3 +529,23 @@ aoedev_init(void)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
+
+struct aoeif *
+get_aoeif(struct net_device *nd)
+{
+	struct aoedev *d;
+	struct aoetgt *t, **tt, **te;
+	struct aoeif *ifp;
+
+	for (d=devlist; d; d=d->next) {
+		tt = d->targets;
+		te = tt + d->ntargets;
+		for (; tt < te && (t = *tt); tt++) {
+			for (ifp = t->ifs; ifp < &t->ifs[NAOEIFS]; ++ifp) {
+				if (ifp->nd && (ifp->nd == nd))
+					return ifp;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
