diff --git a/drivers/iio/iio_core.h b/drivers/iio/iio_core.h
index 7d5b179c1fe7..731f5170d5b9 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/iio_core.h
+++ b/drivers/iio/iio_core.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/device.h>
 
+struct iio_buffer;
 struct iio_chan_spec;
 struct iio_dev;
 
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ int __iio_add_chan_devattr(const char *postfix,
 			   u64 mask,
 			   enum iio_shared_by shared_by,
 			   struct device *dev,
+			   struct iio_buffer *buffer,
 			   struct list_head *attr_list);
 void iio_free_chan_devattr_list(struct list_head *attr_list);
 
diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
index 76f0f6a61ebc..e6edec3bcb73 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-buffer.c
@@ -447,6 +447,7 @@ static int iio_buffer_add_channel_sysfs(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 				     0,
 				     IIO_SEPARATE,
 				     &indio_dev->dev,
+				     buffer,
 				     &buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -458,6 +459,7 @@ static int iio_buffer_add_channel_sysfs(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 				     0,
 				     0,
 				     &indio_dev->dev,
+				     buffer,
 				     &buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -470,6 +472,7 @@ static int iio_buffer_add_channel_sysfs(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 					     chan->scan_index,
 					     0,
 					     &indio_dev->dev,
+					     buffer,
 					     &buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list);
 	else
 		ret = __iio_add_chan_devattr("en",
@@ -479,6 +482,7 @@ static int iio_buffer_add_channel_sysfs(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 					     chan->scan_index,
 					     0,
 					     &indio_dev->dev,
+					     buffer,
 					     &buffer->scan_el_dev_attr_list);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c
index 7b4f088b6efb..31596ae68664 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-core.c
@@ -1114,6 +1114,7 @@ int __iio_add_chan_devattr(const char *postfix,
 			   u64 mask,
 			   enum iio_shared_by shared_by,
 			   struct device *dev,
+			   struct iio_buffer *buffer,
 			   struct list_head *attr_list)
 {
 	int ret;
@@ -1129,6 +1130,7 @@ int __iio_add_chan_devattr(const char *postfix,
 		goto error_iio_dev_attr_free;
 	iio_attr->c = chan;
 	iio_attr->address = mask;
+	iio_attr->buffer = buffer;
 	list_for_each_entry(t, attr_list, l)
 		if (strcmp(t->dev_attr.attr.name,
 			   iio_attr->dev_attr.attr.name) == 0) {
@@ -1165,6 +1167,7 @@ static int iio_device_add_channel_label(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 				     0,
 				     IIO_SEPARATE,
 				     &indio_dev->dev,
+				     NULL,
 				     &iio_dev_opaque->channel_attr_list);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
@@ -1190,6 +1193,7 @@ static int iio_device_add_info_mask_type(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 					     i,
 					     shared_by,
 					     &indio_dev->dev,
+					     NULL,
 					     &iio_dev_opaque->channel_attr_list);
 		if ((ret == -EBUSY) && (shared_by != IIO_SEPARATE))
 			continue;
@@ -1226,6 +1230,7 @@ static int iio_device_add_info_mask_type_avail(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 					     i,
 					     shared_by,
 					     &indio_dev->dev,
+					     NULL,
 					     &iio_dev_opaque->channel_attr_list);
 		kfree(avail_postfix);
 		if ((ret == -EBUSY) && (shared_by != IIO_SEPARATE))
@@ -1322,6 +1327,7 @@ static int iio_device_add_channel_sysfs(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 					i,
 					ext_info->shared,
 					&indio_dev->dev,
+					NULL,
 					&iio_dev_opaque->channel_attr_list);
 			i++;
 			if (ret == -EBUSY && ext_info->shared)
diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c
index ea8947cc21e4..a30e289fc362 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c
@@ -385,6 +385,7 @@ static int iio_device_add_event(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 
 		ret = __iio_add_chan_devattr(postfix, chan, show, store,
 			 (i << 16) | spec_index, shared_by, &indio_dev->dev,
+			 NULL,
 			&iio_dev_opaque->event_interface->dev_attr_list);
 		kfree(postfix);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/iio/sysfs.h b/include/linux/iio/sysfs.h
index b532c875bc24..e51fba66de4b 100644
--- a/include/linux/iio/sysfs.h
+++ b/include/linux/iio/sysfs.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #ifndef _INDUSTRIAL_IO_SYSFS_H_
 #define _INDUSTRIAL_IO_SYSFS_H_
 
+struct iio_buffer;
 struct iio_chan_spec;
 
 /**
@@ -17,12 +18,14 @@ struct iio_chan_spec;
  * @address:	associated register address
  * @l:		list head for maintaining list of dynamically created attrs
  * @c:		specification for the underlying channel
+ * @buffer:	the IIO buffer to which this attribute belongs to (if any)
  */
 struct iio_dev_attr {
 	struct device_attribute dev_attr;
 	u64 address;
 	struct list_head l;
 	struct iio_chan_spec const *c;
+	struct iio_buffer *buffer;
 };
 
 #define to_iio_dev_attr(_dev_attr)				\
