diff --git a/include/linux/netpoll.h b/include/linux/netpoll.h
index 1828900c9411..27c0aaa22cb0 100644
--- a/include/linux/netpoll.h
+++ b/include/linux/netpoll.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 #include <linux/rcupdate.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
+#include <linux/refcount.h>
 
 union inet_addr {
 	__u32		all[4];
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ struct netpoll {
 };
 
 struct netpoll_info {
-	atomic_t refcnt;
+	refcount_t refcnt;
 
 	struct semaphore dev_lock;
 
diff --git a/net/core/netpoll.c b/net/core/netpoll.c
index a835155c85f9..d3408a693166 100644
--- a/net/core/netpoll.c
+++ b/net/core/netpoll.c
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ int __netpoll_setup(struct netpoll *np, struct net_device *ndev)
 		skb_queue_head_init(&npinfo->txq);
 		INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&npinfo->tx_work, queue_process);
 
-		atomic_set(&npinfo->refcnt, 1);
+		refcount_set(&npinfo->refcnt, 1);
 
 		ops = np->dev->netdev_ops;
 		if (ops->ndo_netpoll_setup) {
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ int __netpoll_setup(struct netpoll *np, struct net_device *ndev)
 		}
 	} else {
 		npinfo = rtnl_dereference(ndev->npinfo);
-		atomic_inc(&npinfo->refcnt);
+		refcount_inc(&npinfo->refcnt);
 	}
 
 	npinfo->netpoll = np;
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ void __netpoll_cleanup(struct netpoll *np)
 
 	synchronize_srcu(&netpoll_srcu);
 
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&npinfo->refcnt)) {
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&npinfo->refcnt)) {
 		const struct net_device_ops *ops;
 
 		ops = np->dev->netdev_ops;