diff --git a/drivers/scsi/mpt2sas/mpt2sas_scsih.c b/drivers/scsi/mpt2sas/mpt2sas_scsih.c
index ad6ceb7e..9645055 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/mpt2sas/mpt2sas_scsih.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/mpt2sas/mpt2sas_scsih.c
@@ -7104,6 +7104,7 @@ _scsih_remove_unresponding_sas_devices(struct MPT2SAS_ADAPTER *ioc)
 	struct _raid_device *raid_device, *raid_device_next;
 	struct list_head tmp_list;
 	unsigned long flags;
+	LIST_HEAD(head);
 
 	printk(MPT2SAS_INFO_FMT "removing unresponding devices: start\n",
 	    ioc->name);
@@ -7111,14 +7112,29 @@ _scsih_remove_unresponding_sas_devices(struct MPT2SAS_ADAPTER *ioc)
 	/* removing unresponding end devices */
 	printk(MPT2SAS_INFO_FMT "removing unresponding devices: end-devices\n",
 	    ioc->name);
+
+	/*
+	 * Iterate, pulling off devices marked as non-responding. We become the
+	 * owner for the reference the list had on any object we prune.
+	 */
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&ioc->sas_device_lock, flags);
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(sas_device, sas_device_next,
-	    &ioc->sas_device_list, list) {
+			&ioc->sas_device_list, list) {
 		if (!sas_device->responding)
-			mpt2sas_device_remove_by_sas_address(ioc,
-				sas_device->sas_address);
+			list_move_tail(&sas_device->list, &head);
 		else
 			sas_device->responding = 0;
 	}
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ioc->sas_device_lock, flags);
+
+	/*
+	 * Now, uninitialize and remove the unresponding devices we pruned.
+	 */
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(sas_device, sas_device_next, &head, list) {
+		_scsih_remove_device(ioc, sas_device);
+		list_del_init(&sas_device->list);
+		sas_device_put(sas_device);
+	}
 
 	/* removing unresponding volumes */
 	if (ioc->ir_firmware) {
@@ -8055,6 +8071,37 @@ _scsih_probe_raid(struct MPT2SAS_ADAPTER *ioc)
 	}
 }
 
+static struct _sas_device *dequeue_next_sas_device(struct MPT2SAS_ADAPTER *ioc)
+{
+	struct _sas_device *sas_device = NULL;
+	unsigned long flags;
+
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&ioc->sas_device_lock, flags);
+	if (!list_empty(&ioc->sas_device_init_list)) {
+		sas_device = list_first_entry(&ioc->sas_device_init_list,
+				struct _sas_device, list);
+		list_del_init(&sas_device->list);
+	}
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ioc->sas_device_lock, flags);
+
+	/*
+	 * If an item was dequeued, the caller now owns the reference that was
+	 * previously owned by the list
+	 */
+	return sas_device;
+}
+
+static void sas_device_make_active(struct MPT2SAS_ADAPTER *ioc,
+		struct _sas_device *sas_device)
+{
+	unsigned long flags;
+
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&ioc->sas_device_lock, flags);
+	sas_device_get(sas_device);
+	list_add_tail(&sas_device->list, &ioc->sas_device_list);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ioc->sas_device_lock, flags);
+}
+
 /**
  * _scsih_probe_sas - reporting sas devices to sas transport
  * @ioc: per adapter object
@@ -8064,34 +8111,28 @@ _scsih_probe_raid(struct MPT2SAS_ADAPTER *ioc)
 static void
 _scsih_probe_sas(struct MPT2SAS_ADAPTER *ioc)
 {
-	struct _sas_device *sas_device, *next;
-	unsigned long flags;
-
-	/* SAS Device List */
-	list_for_each_entry_safe(sas_device, next, &ioc->sas_device_init_list,
-	    list) {
+	struct _sas_device *sas_device;
 
-		if (ioc->hide_drives)
-			continue;
+	if (ioc->hide_drives)
+		return;
 
+	while ((sas_device = dequeue_next_sas_device(ioc))) {
 		if (!mpt2sas_transport_port_add(ioc, sas_device->handle,
-		    sas_device->sas_address_parent)) {
-			list_del(&sas_device->list);
-			kfree(sas_device);
+				sas_device->sas_address_parent)) {
+			sas_device_put(sas_device);
 			continue;
 		} else if (!sas_device->starget) {
 			if (!ioc->is_driver_loading) {
 				mpt2sas_transport_port_remove(ioc,
-					sas_device->sas_address,
-					sas_device->sas_address_parent);
-				list_del(&sas_device->list);
-				kfree(sas_device);
+						sas_device->sas_address,
+						sas_device->sas_address_parent);
+				sas_device_put(sas_device);
 				continue;
 			}
 		}
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&ioc->sas_device_lock, flags);
-		list_move_tail(&sas_device->list, &ioc->sas_device_list);
-		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ioc->sas_device_lock, flags);
+
+		sas_device_make_active(ioc, sas_device);
+		sas_device_put(sas_device);
 	}
 }
 
