diff --git a/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_ata.c b/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_ata.c
index a062adc..2c00a38 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_ata.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_ata.c
@@ -661,8 +661,13 @@ static void async_sas_ata_eh(void *data, async_cookie_t cookie)
 	struct ata_port *ap = dev->sata_dev.ap;
 	struct sas_ha_struct *ha = dev->port->ha;
 
+	/* hold a reference over eh since we may be racing with final
+	 * remove once all commands are completed
+	 */
+	kref_get(&dev->kref);
 	ata_port_printk(ap, KERN_DEBUG, "sas eh calling libata port error handler");
 	ata_scsi_port_error_handler(ha->core.shost, ap);
+	sas_put_device(dev);
 
 	/* tell scsi_block_when_processing_errors() waiters that we are
 	 * still making forward progress
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_discover.c b/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_discover.c
index 3ef7741..9367101 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_discover.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_discover.c
@@ -242,6 +242,11 @@ void sas_free_device(struct kref *kref)
 	if (dev->dev_type == EDGE_DEV || dev->dev_type == FANOUT_DEV)
 		kfree(dev->ex_dev.ex_phy);
 
+	if (dev_is_sata(dev) && dev->sata_dev.ap) {
+		ata_sas_port_destroy(dev->sata_dev.ap);
+		dev->sata_dev.ap = NULL;
+	}
+
 	kfree(dev);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_scsi_host.c b/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_scsi_host.c
index 731c892..b563ff2 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_scsi_host.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/libsas/sas_scsi_host.c
@@ -1028,9 +1028,6 @@ void sas_target_destroy(struct scsi_target *starget)
 	if (!found_dev)
 		return;
 
-	if (dev_is_sata(found_dev))
-		ata_sas_port_destroy(found_dev->sata_dev.ap);
-
 	starget->hostdata = NULL;
 	sas_put_device(found_dev);
 }