diff --git a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl.c b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl.c
index fac02e36999b..2388ccd48b70 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl.c
@@ -869,11 +869,25 @@ static void kgsl_destroy_process_private(struct kref *kref)
 	struct kgsl_process_private *private = container_of(kref,
 			struct kgsl_process_private, refcount);
 
+	mutex_lock(&kgsl_driver.process_mutex);
+	debugfs_remove_recursive(private->debug_root);
+	kgsl_process_uninit_sysfs(private);
+
+	/* When using global pagetables, do not detach global pagetable */
+	if (private->pagetable->name != KGSL_MMU_GLOBAL_PT)
+		kgsl_mmu_detach_pagetable(private->pagetable);
+
+	/* Remove the process struct from the master list */
+	write_lock(&kgsl_driver.proclist_lock);
+	list_del(&private->list);
+	write_unlock(&kgsl_driver.proclist_lock);
+	mutex_unlock(&kgsl_driver.process_mutex);
+
 	put_pid(private->pid);
 	idr_destroy(&private->mem_idr);
 	idr_destroy(&private->syncsource_idr);
 
-	/* When using global pagetables, do not detach global pagetable */
+	/* When using global pagetables, do not put global pagetable */
 	if (private->pagetable->name != KGSL_MMU_GLOBAL_PT)
 		kgsl_mmu_putpagetable(private->pagetable);
 
@@ -962,8 +976,15 @@ static struct kgsl_process_private *kgsl_process_private_new(
 
 		kfree(private);
 		private = ERR_PTR(err);
+		return private;
 	}
 
+	kgsl_process_init_sysfs(device, private);
+	kgsl_process_init_debugfs(private);
+	write_lock(&kgsl_driver.proclist_lock);
+	list_add(&private->list, &kgsl_driver.process_list);
+	write_unlock(&kgsl_driver.proclist_lock);
+
 	return private;
 }
 
@@ -1008,8 +1029,8 @@ static void kgsl_process_private_close(struct kgsl_device_private *dev_priv,
 	}
 
 	/*
-	 * If this is the last file on the process take down the debug
-	 * directories and garbage collect any outstanding resources
+	 * If this is the last file on the process garbage collect
+	 * any outstanding resources
 	 */
 
 	process_release_memory(private);
@@ -1017,18 +1038,6 @@ static void kgsl_process_private_close(struct kgsl_device_private *dev_priv,
 	/* Release all syncsource objects from process private */
 	kgsl_syncsource_process_release_syncsources(private);
 
-	debugfs_remove_recursive(private->debug_root);
-	kgsl_process_uninit_sysfs(private);
-
-	/* When using global pagetables, do not detach global pagetable */
-	if (private->pagetable->name != KGSL_MMU_GLOBAL_PT)
-		kgsl_mmu_detach_pagetable(private->pagetable);
-
-	/* Remove the process struct from the master list */
-	write_lock(&kgsl_driver.proclist_lock);
-	list_del(&private->list);
-	write_unlock(&kgsl_driver.proclist_lock);
-
 	mutex_unlock(&kgsl_driver.process_mutex);
 
 	kgsl_process_private_put(private);
@@ -1046,19 +1055,7 @@ static struct kgsl_process_private *kgsl_process_private_open(
 	if (IS_ERR(private))
 		goto done;
 
-	/*
-	 * If this is a new process create the debug directories and add it to
-	 * the process list
-	 */
-
-	if (private->fd_count++ == 0) {
-		kgsl_process_init_sysfs(device, private);
-		kgsl_process_init_debugfs(private);
-
-		write_lock(&kgsl_driver.proclist_lock);
-		list_add(&private->list, &kgsl_driver.process_list);
-		write_unlock(&kgsl_driver.proclist_lock);
-	}
+	private->fd_count++;
 
 done:
 	mutex_unlock(&kgsl_driver.process_mutex);
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_sharedmem.c b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_sharedmem.c
index 8bb7bd4aadc7..599c5b61e9f8 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_sharedmem.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/msm/kgsl_sharedmem.c
@@ -202,10 +202,10 @@ static ssize_t mem_entry_sysfs_show(struct kobject *kobj,
 	ssize_t ret;
 
 	/*
-	 * kgsl_process_init_sysfs takes a refcount to the process_private,
-	 * which is put when the kobj is released. This implies that priv will
-	 * not be freed until this function completes, and no further locking
-	 * is needed.
+	 * sysfs_remove_file waits for reads to complete before the node is
+	 * deleted and process private is freed only once kobj is released.
+	 * This implies that priv will not be freed until this function
+	 * completes, and no further locking is needed.
 	 */
 	priv = kobj ? container_of(kobj, struct kgsl_process_private, kobj) :
 			NULL;
@@ -228,10 +228,10 @@ static ssize_t memtype_sysfs_show(struct kobject *kobj,
 	int id = 0;
 
 	/*
-	 * kgsl_process_init_sysfs takes a refcount to the process_private,
-	 * which is put when the kobj is released. This implies that priv will
-	 * not be freed until this function completes, and no further locking
-	 * is needed.
+	 * sysfs_remove_file waits for reads to complete before the node is
+	 * deleted and process private is freed only once kobj is released.
+	 * This implies that priv will not be freed until this function
+	 * completes, and no further locking is needed.
 	 */
 	priv = container_of(kobj, struct kgsl_process_private, kobj_memtype);
 	memtype = container_of(attr, struct kgsl_memtype, attr);
@@ -261,13 +261,9 @@ static ssize_t memtype_sysfs_show(struct kobject *kobj,
 	return scnprintf(buf, PAGE_SIZE, "%llu\n", size);
 }
 
+/* Dummy release function - we have nothing to do here */
 static void mem_entry_release(struct kobject *kobj)
 {
-	struct kgsl_process_private *priv;
-
-	priv = container_of(kobj, struct kgsl_process_private, kobj);
-	/* Put the refcount we got in kgsl_process_init_sysfs */
-	kgsl_process_private_put(priv);
 }
 
 static const struct sysfs_ops mem_entry_sysfs_ops = {
@@ -329,9 +325,6 @@ void kgsl_process_init_sysfs(struct kgsl_device *device,
 {
 	int i;
 
-	/* Keep private valid until the sysfs enries are removed. */
-	kgsl_process_private_get(private);
-
 	if (kobject_init_and_add(&private->kobj, &ktype_mem_entry,
 		kgsl_driver.prockobj, "%d", pid_nr(private->pid))) {
 		dev_err(device->dev, "Unable to add sysfs for process %d\n",