--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/ptrace.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/ptrace.c
@@ -924,12 +924,16 @@ int ptrace_set_debugreg(struct task_stru
 	if (data && !(data & DABR_TRANSLATION))
 		return -EIO;
 #ifdef CONFIG_HAVE_HW_BREAKPOINT
+	if (ptrace_get_breakpoints(task) < 0)
+		return -ESRCH;
+
 	bp = thread->ptrace_bps[0];
 	if ((!data) || !(data & (DABR_DATA_WRITE | DABR_DATA_READ))) {
 		if (bp) {
 			unregister_hw_breakpoint(bp);
 			thread->ptrace_bps[0] = NULL;
 		}
+		ptrace_put_breakpoints(task);
 		return 0;
 	}
 	if (bp) {
@@ -939,9 +943,12 @@ int ptrace_set_debugreg(struct task_stru
 					(DABR_DATA_WRITE | DABR_DATA_READ),
 							&attr.bp_type);
 		ret =  modify_user_hw_breakpoint(bp, &attr);
-		if (ret)
+		if (ret) {
+			ptrace_put_breakpoints(task);
 			return ret;
+		}
 		thread->ptrace_bps[0] = bp;
+		ptrace_put_breakpoints(task);
 		thread->dabr = data;
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -956,9 +963,12 @@ int ptrace_set_debugreg(struct task_stru
 							ptrace_triggered, task);
 	if (IS_ERR(bp)) {
 		thread->ptrace_bps[0] = NULL;
+		ptrace_put_breakpoints(task);
 		return PTR_ERR(bp);
 	}
 
+	ptrace_put_breakpoints(task);
+
 #endif /* CONFIG_HAVE_HW_BREAKPOINT */
 
 	/* Move contents to the DABR register */