diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index 4160db3..14fbb04 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@
 	struct timer_list	watchdog_timer;
 
 	/* Number of references to this device */
-	atomic_t		refcnt ____cacheline_aligned_in_smp;
+	int __percpu		*pcpu_refcnt;
 
 	/* delayed register/unregister */
 	struct list_head	todo_list;
@@ -1330,6 +1330,7 @@
 	unregister_netdevice_queue(dev, NULL);
 }
 
+extern int 		netdev_refcnt_read(const struct net_device *dev);
 extern void		free_netdev(struct net_device *dev);
 extern void		synchronize_net(void);
 extern int 		register_netdevice_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb);
@@ -1798,7 +1799,7 @@
  */
 static inline void dev_put(struct net_device *dev)
 {
-	atomic_dec(&dev->refcnt);
+	irqsafe_cpu_dec(*dev->pcpu_refcnt);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1809,7 +1810,7 @@
  */
 static inline void dev_hold(struct net_device *dev)
 {
-	atomic_inc(&dev->refcnt);
+	irqsafe_cpu_inc(*dev->pcpu_refcnt);
 }
 
 /* Carrier loss detection, dial on demand. The functions netif_carrier_on