diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c
index 84ecbc6fa0ff..3c8df8eb8581 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_main.c
@@ -1460,7 +1460,37 @@ static void bond_upper_dev_unlink(struct bonding *bond, struct slave *slave)
 	slave->dev->flags &= ~IFF_SLAVE;
 }
 
-static struct slave *bond_alloc_slave(struct bonding *bond)
+static void slave_kobj_release(struct kobject *kobj)
+{
+	struct slave *slave = to_slave(kobj);
+	struct bonding *bond = bond_get_bond_by_slave(slave);
+
+	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&slave->notify_work);
+	if (BOND_MODE(bond) == BOND_MODE_8023AD)
+		kfree(SLAVE_AD_INFO(slave));
+
+	kfree(slave);
+}
+
+static struct kobj_type slave_ktype = {
+	.release = slave_kobj_release,
+#ifdef CONFIG_SYSFS
+	.sysfs_ops = &slave_sysfs_ops,
+#endif
+};
+
+static int bond_kobj_init(struct slave *slave)
+{
+	int err = kobject_init_and_add(&slave->kobj, &slave_ktype,
+				   &(slave->dev->dev.kobj), "bonding_slave");
+	if (err)
+		kobject_put(&slave->kobj);
+
+	return err;
+}
+
+static struct slave *bond_alloc_slave(struct bonding *bond,
+				      struct net_device *slave_dev)
 {
 	struct slave *slave = NULL;
 
@@ -1468,11 +1498,17 @@ static struct slave *bond_alloc_slave(struct bonding *bond)
 	if (!slave)
 		return NULL;
 
+	slave->bond = bond;
+	slave->dev = slave_dev;
+
+	if (bond_kobj_init(slave))
+		return NULL;
+
 	if (BOND_MODE(bond) == BOND_MODE_8023AD) {
 		SLAVE_AD_INFO(slave) = kzalloc(sizeof(struct ad_slave_info),
 					       GFP_KERNEL);
 		if (!SLAVE_AD_INFO(slave)) {
-			kfree(slave);
+			kobject_put(&slave->kobj);
 			return NULL;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1481,17 +1517,6 @@ static struct slave *bond_alloc_slave(struct bonding *bond)
 	return slave;
 }
 
-static void bond_free_slave(struct slave *slave)
-{
-	struct bonding *bond = bond_get_bond_by_slave(slave);
-
-	cancel_delayed_work_sync(&slave->notify_work);
-	if (BOND_MODE(bond) == BOND_MODE_8023AD)
-		kfree(SLAVE_AD_INFO(slave));
-
-	kfree(slave);
-}
-
 static void bond_fill_ifbond(struct bonding *bond, struct ifbond *info)
 {
 	info->bond_mode = BOND_MODE(bond);
@@ -1678,14 +1703,12 @@ int bond_enslave(struct net_device *bond_dev, struct net_device *slave_dev,
 			goto err_undo_flags;
 	}
 
-	new_slave = bond_alloc_slave(bond);
+	new_slave = bond_alloc_slave(bond, slave_dev);
 	if (!new_slave) {
 		res = -ENOMEM;
 		goto err_undo_flags;
 	}
 
-	new_slave->bond = bond;
-	new_slave->dev = slave_dev;
 	/* Set the new_slave's queue_id to be zero.  Queue ID mapping
 	 * is set via sysfs or module option if desired.
 	 */
@@ -2007,7 +2030,7 @@ int bond_enslave(struct net_device *bond_dev, struct net_device *slave_dev,
 	dev_set_mtu(slave_dev, new_slave->original_mtu);
 
 err_free:
-	bond_free_slave(new_slave);
+	kobject_put(&new_slave->kobj);
 
 err_undo_flags:
 	/* Enslave of first slave has failed and we need to fix master's mac */
@@ -2187,7 +2210,7 @@ static int __bond_release_one(struct net_device *bond_dev,
 	if (!netif_is_bond_master(slave_dev))
 		slave_dev->priv_flags &= ~IFF_BONDING;
 
-	bond_free_slave(slave);
+	kobject_put(&slave->kobj);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs_slave.c b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs_slave.c
index 9b8346638f69..fd07561da034 100644
--- a/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs_slave.c
+++ b/drivers/net/bonding/bond_sysfs_slave.c
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ static const struct slave_attribute *slave_attrs[] = {
 };
 
 #define to_slave_attr(_at) container_of(_at, struct slave_attribute, attr)
-#define to_slave(obj)	container_of(obj, struct slave, kobj)
 
 static ssize_t slave_show(struct kobject *kobj,
 			  struct attribute *attr, char *buf)
@@ -132,28 +131,15 @@ static ssize_t slave_show(struct kobject *kobj,
 	return slave_attr->show(slave, buf);
 }
 
-static const struct sysfs_ops slave_sysfs_ops = {
+const struct sysfs_ops slave_sysfs_ops = {
 	.show = slave_show,
 };
 
-static struct kobj_type slave_ktype = {
-#ifdef CONFIG_SYSFS
-	.sysfs_ops = &slave_sysfs_ops,
-#endif
-};
-
 int bond_sysfs_slave_add(struct slave *slave)
 {
 	const struct slave_attribute **a;
 	int err;
 
-	err = kobject_init_and_add(&slave->kobj, &slave_ktype,
-				   &(slave->dev->dev.kobj), "bonding_slave");
-	if (err) {
-		kobject_put(&slave->kobj);
-		return err;
-	}
-
 	for (a = slave_attrs; *a; ++a) {
 		err = sysfs_create_file(&slave->kobj, &((*a)->attr));
 		if (err) {
@@ -171,6 +157,4 @@ void bond_sysfs_slave_del(struct slave *slave)
 
 	for (a = slave_attrs; *a; ++a)
 		sysfs_remove_file(&slave->kobj, &((*a)->attr));
-
-	kobject_put(&slave->kobj);
 }
diff --git a/include/net/bonding.h b/include/net/bonding.h
index 7d132cc1e584..d9d0ff3b0ad3 100644
--- a/include/net/bonding.h
+++ b/include/net/bonding.h
@@ -185,6 +185,11 @@ struct slave {
 	struct rtnl_link_stats64 slave_stats;
 };
 
+static inline struct slave *to_slave(struct kobject *kobj)
+{
+	return container_of(kobj, struct slave, kobj);
+}
+
 struct bond_up_slave {
 	unsigned int	count;
 	struct rcu_head rcu;
@@ -750,6 +755,9 @@ extern struct bond_parm_tbl ad_select_tbl[];
 /* exported from bond_netlink.c */
 extern struct rtnl_link_ops bond_link_ops;
 
+/* exported from bond_sysfs_slave.c */
+extern const struct sysfs_ops slave_sysfs_ops;
+
 static inline netdev_tx_t bond_tx_drop(struct net_device *dev, struct sk_buff *skb)
 {
 	atomic_long_inc(&dev->tx_dropped);
