diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
index 08aa8e0782ce..8b31faf049a5 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
@@ -1175,8 +1175,6 @@ static ssize_t iio_buffer_store_enable(struct device *dev,
 	return (ret < 0) ? ret : len;
 }
 
-static const char * const iio_scan_elements_group_name = "scan_elements";
-
 static ssize_t iio_buffer_show_watermark(struct device *dev,
 					 struct device_attribute *attr,
 					 char *buf)
@@ -1252,6 +1250,101 @@ static struct attribute *iio_buffer_attrs[] = {
 	&dev_attr_data_available.attr,
 };
 
+#define to_dev_attr(_attr) container_of(_attr, struct device_attribute, attr)
+
+static ssize_t iio_buffer_dir_attr_show(struct kobject *kobj,
+					struct attribute *attr,
+					char *buf)
+{
+	struct iio_buffer *buffer = container_of(kobj, struct iio_buffer, buffer_dir);
+	struct device_attribute *dattr;
+
+	dattr = to_dev_attr(attr);
+
+	return dattr->show(&buffer->indio_dev->dev, dattr, buf);
+}
+
+static ssize_t iio_buffer_dir_attr_store(struct kobject *kobj,
+					 struct attribute *attr,
+					 const char *buf,
+					 size_t len)
+{
+	struct iio_buffer *buffer = container_of(kobj, struct iio_buffer, buffer_dir);
+	struct device_attribute *dattr;
+
+	dattr = to_dev_attr(attr);
+
+	return dattr->store(&buffer->indio_dev->dev, dattr, buf, len);
+}
+
+static const struct sysfs_ops iio_buffer_dir_sysfs_ops = {
+	.show = iio_buffer_dir_attr_show,
+	.store = iio_buffer_dir_attr_store,
+};
+
+static struct kobj_type iio_buffer_dir_ktype = {
+	.sysfs_ops = &iio_buffer_dir_sysfs_ops,
+};
+
+static ssize_t iio_scan_el_dir_attr_show(struct kobject *kobj,
+					 struct attribute *attr,
+					 char *buf)
+{
+	struct iio_buffer *buffer = container_of(kobj, struct iio_buffer, scan_el_dir);
+	struct device_attribute *dattr = to_dev_attr(attr);
+
+	return dattr->show(&buffer->indio_dev->dev, dattr, buf);
+}
+
+static ssize_t iio_scan_el_dir_attr_store(struct kobject *kobj,
+					  struct attribute *attr,
+					  const char *buf,
+					  size_t len)
+{
+	struct iio_buffer *buffer = container_of(kobj, struct iio_buffer, scan_el_dir);
+	struct device_attribute *dattr = to_dev_attr(attr);
+
+	return dattr->store(&buffer->indio_dev->dev, dattr, buf, len);
+}
+
+static const struct sysfs_ops iio_scan_el_dir_sysfs_ops = {
+	.show = iio_scan_el_dir_attr_show,
+	.store = iio_scan_el_dir_attr_store,
+};
+
+static struct kobj_type iio_scan_el_dir_ktype = {
+	.sysfs_ops = &iio_scan_el_dir_sysfs_ops,
+};
+
+/*
+ * This iio_sysfs_{add,del}_attrs() are essentially re-implementations of
+ * sysfs_create_files() & sysfs_remove_files(), but they are meant to get
+ * around the const-pointer mismatch situation with using them.
+ *
+ * sysfs_{create,remove}_files() uses 'const struct attribute * const *ptr',
+ * while these are happy with just 'struct attribute **ptr'
+ */
+static int iio_sysfs_add_attrs(struct kobject *kobj, struct attribute **ptr)
+{
+	int err = 0;
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; ptr[i] && !err; i++)
+		err = sysfs_create_file(kobj, ptr[i]);
+	if (err)
+		while (--i >= 0)
+			sysfs_remove_file(kobj, ptr[i]);
+	return err;
+}
+
+static void iio_sysfs_del_attrs(struct kobject *kobj, struct attribute **ptr)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; ptr[i]; i++)
+		sysfs_remove_file(kobj, ptr[i]);
+}
+
 static int __iio_buffer_alloc_sysfs_and_mask(struct iio_buffer *buffer,
 					     struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
 {
@@ -1282,12 +1375,16 @@ static int __iio_buffer_alloc_sysfs_and_mask(struct iio_buffer *buffer,
 		memcpy(&attr[ARRAY_SIZE(iio_buffer_attrs)], buffer->attrs,
 		       sizeof(struct attribute *) * attrcount);
 
-	attr[attrcount + ARRAY_SIZE(iio_buffer_attrs)] = NULL;
+	buffer->buffer_attrs = attr;
 
-	buffer->buffer_group.name = "buffer";
-	buffer->buffer_group.attrs = attr;
+	ret = kobject_init_and_add(&buffer->buffer_dir, &iio_buffer_dir_ktype,
+				   &indio_dev->dev.kobj, "buffer");
+	if (ret)
+		goto error_buffer_free_attrs;
 
-	indio_dev->groups[indio_dev->groupcounter++] = &buffer->buffer_group;
+	ret = iio_sysfs_add_attrs(&buffer->buffer_dir, buffer->buffer_attrs);
+	if (ret)
+		goto error_buffer_kobject_put;
 
 	attrcount = 0;
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list);
@@ -1317,28 +1414,42 @@ static int __iio_buffer_alloc_sysfs_and_mask(struct iio_buffer *buffer,
 		}
 	}
 
-	buffer->scan_el_group.name = iio_scan_elements_group_name;
-
-	buffer->scan_el_group.attrs = kcalloc(attrcount + 1,
-					      sizeof(buffer->scan_el_group.attrs[0]),
-					      GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (buffer->scan_el_group.attrs == NULL) {
+	buffer->scan_el_attrs = kcalloc(attrcount + 1,
+					sizeof(buffer->scan_el_attrs[0]),
+					GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (buffer->scan_el_attrs == NULL) {
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
 		goto error_free_scan_mask;
 	}
-	attrn = 0;
 
+	ret = kobject_init_and_add(&buffer->scan_el_dir, &iio_scan_el_dir_ktype,
+				   &indio_dev->dev.kobj, "scan_elements");
+	if (ret)
+		goto error_free_scan_attrs;
+
+	attrn = 0;
 	list_for_each_entry(p, &buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list, l)
-		buffer->scan_el_group.attrs[attrn++] = &p->dev_attr.attr;
-	indio_dev->groups[indio_dev->groupcounter++] = &buffer->scan_el_group;
+		buffer->scan_el_attrs[attrn++] = &p->dev_attr.attr;
+
+	ret = iio_sysfs_add_attrs(&buffer->scan_el_dir, buffer->scan_el_attrs);
+	if (ret)
+		goto error_scan_kobject_put;
 
 	return 0;
 
+error_scan_kobject_put:
+	kobject_put(&buffer->scan_el_dir);
+error_free_scan_attrs:
+	kfree(buffer->scan_el_attrs);
 error_free_scan_mask:
 	bitmap_free(buffer->scan_mask);
 error_cleanup_dynamic:
+	iio_sysfs_del_attrs(&buffer->buffer_dir, buffer->buffer_attrs);
 	iio_free_chan_devattr_list(&buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list);
-	kfree(buffer->buffer_group.attrs);
+error_buffer_kobject_put:
+	kobject_put(&buffer->buffer_dir);
+error_buffer_free_attrs:
+	kfree(buffer->buffer_attrs);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -1366,10 +1477,14 @@ int iio_buffer_alloc_sysfs_and_mask(struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
 
 static void __iio_buffer_free_sysfs_and_mask(struct iio_buffer *buffer)
 {
+	iio_sysfs_del_attrs(&buffer->scan_el_dir, buffer->scan_el_attrs);
+	kobject_put(&buffer->scan_el_dir);
+	kfree(buffer->scan_el_attrs);
 	bitmap_free(buffer->scan_mask);
-	kfree(buffer->buffer_group.attrs);
-	kfree(buffer->scan_el_group.attrs);
+	iio_sysfs_del_attrs(&buffer->buffer_dir, buffer->buffer_attrs);
 	iio_free_chan_devattr_list(&buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list);
+	kobject_put(&buffer->buffer_dir);
+	kfree(buffer->buffer_attrs);
 }
 
 void iio_buffer_free_sysfs_and_mask(struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c
index ca8b11541477..f389d8feacb0 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c
@@ -1819,18 +1819,11 @@ int __iio_device_register(struct iio_dev *indio_dev, struct module *this_mod)
 
 	iio_device_register_debugfs(indio_dev);
 
-	ret = iio_buffer_alloc_sysfs_and_mask(indio_dev);
-	if (ret) {
-		dev_err(indio_dev->dev.parent,
-			"Failed to create buffer sysfs interfaces\n");
-		goto error_unreg_debugfs;
-	}
-
 	ret = iio_device_register_sysfs(indio_dev);
 	if (ret) {
 		dev_err(indio_dev->dev.parent,
 			"Failed to register sysfs interfaces\n");
-		goto error_buffer_free_sysfs;
+		goto error_unreg_debugfs;
 	}
 	ret = iio_device_register_eventset(indio_dev);
 	if (ret) {
@@ -1859,14 +1852,21 @@ int __iio_device_register(struct iio_dev *indio_dev, struct module *this_mod)
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto error_unreg_eventset;
 
+	ret = iio_buffer_alloc_sysfs_and_mask(indio_dev);
+	if (ret) {
+		dev_err(indio_dev->dev.parent,
+			"Failed to create buffer sysfs interfaces\n");
+		goto error_device_del;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 
+error_device_del:
+	cdev_device_del(&indio_dev->chrdev, &indio_dev->dev);
 error_unreg_eventset:
 	iio_device_unregister_eventset(indio_dev);
 error_free_sysfs:
 	iio_device_unregister_sysfs(indio_dev);
-error_buffer_free_sysfs:
-	iio_buffer_free_sysfs_and_mask(indio_dev);
 error_unreg_debugfs:
 	iio_device_unregister_debugfs(indio_dev);
 	return ret;
@@ -1882,6 +1882,8 @@ void iio_device_unregister(struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
 	struct iio_dev_opaque *iio_dev_opaque = to_iio_dev_opaque(indio_dev);
 	struct iio_ioctl_handler *h, *t;
 
+	iio_buffer_free_sysfs_and_mask(indio_dev);
+
 	cdev_device_del(&indio_dev->chrdev, &indio_dev->dev);
 
 	mutex_lock(&indio_dev->info_exist_lock);
@@ -1899,8 +1901,6 @@ void iio_device_unregister(struct iio_dev *indio_dev)
 	iio_buffer_wakeup_poll(indio_dev);
 
 	mutex_unlock(&indio_dev->info_exist_lock);
-
-	iio_buffer_free_sysfs_and_mask(indio_dev);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(iio_device_unregister);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/iio/buffer_impl.h b/include/linux/iio/buffer_impl.h
index 67d73d465e02..77e169e51434 100644
--- a/include/linux/iio/buffer_impl.h
+++ b/include/linux/iio/buffer_impl.h
@@ -103,14 +103,20 @@ struct iio_buffer {
 	/* @scan_el_dev_attr_list: List of scan element related attributes. */
 	struct list_head scan_el_dev_attr_list;
 
-	/* @buffer_group: Attributes of the buffer group. */
-	struct attribute_group buffer_group;
+	/* @buffer_dir: kobject for the 'buffer' directory of this buffer */
+	struct kobject buffer_dir;
+
+	/* @buffer_attrs: Attributes of the buffer group. */
+	struct attribute **buffer_attrs;
+
+	/* @scan_el_dir: kobject for the 'scan_elements' directory of this buffer */
+	struct kobject scan_el_dir;
 
 	/*
-	 * @scan_el_group: Attribute group for those attributes not
+	 * @scan_el_attrs: Array of attributes for those attributes not
 	 * created from the iio_chan_info array.
 	 */
-	struct attribute_group scan_el_group;
+	struct attribute **scan_el_attrs;
 
 	/* @attrs: Standard attributes of the buffer. */
 	const struct attribute **attrs;
diff --git a/include/linux/iio/iio.h b/include/linux/iio/iio.h
index 9a3cf4815148..2ea185340a3a 100644
--- a/include/linux/iio/iio.h
+++ b/include/linux/iio/iio.h
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ struct iio_dev {
 	struct mutex			info_exist_lock;
 	const struct iio_buffer_setup_ops	*setup_ops;
 	struct cdev			chrdev;
-#define IIO_MAX_GROUPS 6
+#define IIO_MAX_GROUPS 4
 	const struct attribute_group	*groups[IIO_MAX_GROUPS + 1];
 	int				groupcounter;
 
