diff --git a/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c b/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c
index 3e58b22..342876c 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c
@@ -371,6 +371,31 @@ static struct scsi_target *__scsi_find_target(struct device *parent,
 }
 
 /**
+ * scsi_target_reap_ref_release - remove target from visibility
+ * @kref: the reap_ref in the target being released
+ *
+ * Called on last put of reap_ref, which is the indication that no device
+ * under this target is visible anymore, so render the target invisible in
+ * sysfs.  Note: we have to be in user context here because the target reaps
+ * should be done in places where the scsi device visibility is being removed.
+ */
+static void scsi_target_reap_ref_release(struct kref *kref)
+{
+	struct scsi_target *starget
+		= container_of(kref, struct scsi_target, reap_ref);
+
+	transport_remove_device(&starget->dev);
+	device_del(&starget->dev);
+	starget->state = STARGET_DEL;
+	scsi_target_destroy(starget);
+}
+
+static void scsi_target_reap_ref_put(struct scsi_target *starget)
+{
+	kref_put(&starget->reap_ref, scsi_target_reap_ref_release);
+}
+
+/**
  * scsi_alloc_target - allocate a new or find an existing target
  * @parent:	parent of the target (need not be a scsi host)
  * @channel:	target channel number (zero if no channels)
@@ -392,7 +417,7 @@ static struct scsi_target *scsi_alloc_target(struct device *parent,
 		+ shost->transportt->target_size;
 	struct scsi_target *starget;
 	struct scsi_target *found_target;
-	int error;
+	int error, ref_got;
 
 	starget = kzalloc(size, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!starget) {
@@ -401,7 +426,7 @@ static struct scsi_target *scsi_alloc_target(struct device *parent,
 	}
 	dev = &starget->dev;
 	device_initialize(dev);
-	starget->reap_ref = 1;
+	kref_init(&starget->reap_ref);
 	dev->parent = get_device(parent);
 	dev_set_name(dev, "target%d:%d:%d", shost->host_no, channel, id);
 	dev->bus = &scsi_bus_type;
@@ -441,29 +466,36 @@ static struct scsi_target *scsi_alloc_target(struct device *parent,
 	return starget;
 
  found:
-	found_target->reap_ref++;
+	/*
+	 * release routine already fired if kref is zero, so if we can still
+	 * take the reference, the target must be alive.  If we can't, it must
+	 * be dying and we need to wait for a new target
+	 */
+	ref_got = kref_get_unless_zero(&found_target->reap_ref);
+
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(shost->host_lock, flags);
-	if (found_target->state != STARGET_DEL) {
+	if (ref_got) {
 		put_device(dev);
 		return found_target;
 	}
-	/* Unfortunately, we found a dying target; need to
-	 * wait until it's dead before we can get a new one */
+	/*
+	 * Unfortunately, we found a dying target; need to wait until it's
+	 * dead before we can get a new one.  There is an anomaly here.  We
+	 * *should* call scsi_target_reap() to balance the kref_get() of the
+	 * reap_ref above.  However, since the target being released, it's
+	 * already invisible and the reap_ref is irrelevant.  If we call
+	 * scsi_target_reap() we might spuriously do another device_del() on
+	 * an already invisible target.
+	 */
 	put_device(&found_target->dev);
-	flush_scheduled_work();
+	/*
+	 * length of time is irrelevant here, we just want to yield the CPU
+	 * for a tick to avoid busy waiting for the target to die.
+	 */
+	msleep(1);
 	goto retry;
 }
 
-static void scsi_target_reap_usercontext(struct work_struct *work)
-{
-	struct scsi_target *starget =
-		container_of(work, struct scsi_target, ew.work);
-
-	transport_remove_device(&starget->dev);
-	device_del(&starget->dev);
-	scsi_target_destroy(starget);
-}
-
 /**
  * scsi_target_reap - check to see if target is in use and destroy if not
  * @starget: target to be checked
@@ -474,28 +506,11 @@ static void scsi_target_reap_usercontext(struct work_struct *work)
  */
 void scsi_target_reap(struct scsi_target *starget)
 {
-	struct Scsi_Host *shost = dev_to_shost(starget->dev.parent);
-	unsigned long flags;
-	enum scsi_target_state state;
-	int empty = 0;
-
-	spin_lock_irqsave(shost->host_lock, flags);
-	state = starget->state;
-	if (--starget->reap_ref == 0 && list_empty(&starget->devices)) {
-		empty = 1;
-		starget->state = STARGET_DEL;
-	}
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(shost->host_lock, flags);
-
-	if (!empty)
-		return;
-
-	BUG_ON(state == STARGET_DEL);
-	if (state == STARGET_CREATED)
+	BUG_ON(starget->state == STARGET_DEL);
+	if (starget->state == STARGET_CREATED)
 		scsi_target_destroy(starget);
 	else
-		execute_in_process_context(scsi_target_reap_usercontext,
-					   &starget->ew);
+		scsi_target_reap_ref_put(starget);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1527,6 +1542,10 @@ struct scsi_device *__scsi_add_device(struct Scsi_Host *shost, uint channel,
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&shost->scan_mutex);
 	scsi_autopm_put_target(starget);
+	/*
+	 * paired with scsi_alloc_target().  Target will be destroyed unless
+	 * scsi_probe_and_add_lun made an underlying device visible
+	 */
 	scsi_target_reap(starget);
 	put_device(&starget->dev);
 
@@ -1607,8 +1626,10 @@ static void __scsi_scan_target(struct device *parent, unsigned int channel,
 
  out_reap:
 	scsi_autopm_put_target(starget);
-	/* now determine if the target has any children at all
-	 * and if not, nuke it */
+	/*
+	 * paired with scsi_alloc_target(): determine if the target has
+	 * any children at all and if not, nuke it
+	 */
 	scsi_target_reap(starget);
 
 	put_device(&starget->dev);
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/scsi_sysfs.c b/drivers/scsi/scsi_sysfs.c
index 931a7d9..9e2dd47 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/scsi_sysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/scsi_sysfs.c
@@ -332,17 +332,14 @@ static void scsi_device_dev_release_usercontext(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct scsi_device *sdev;
 	struct device *parent;
-	struct scsi_target *starget;
 	struct list_head *this, *tmp;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
 	sdev = container_of(work, struct scsi_device, ew.work);
 
 	parent = sdev->sdev_gendev.parent;
-	starget = to_scsi_target(parent);
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(sdev->host->host_lock, flags);
-	starget->reap_ref++;
 	list_del(&sdev->siblings);
 	list_del(&sdev->same_target_siblings);
 	list_del(&sdev->starved_entry);
@@ -362,8 +359,6 @@ static void scsi_device_dev_release_usercontext(struct work_struct *work)
 	/* NULL queue means the device can't be used */
 	sdev->request_queue = NULL;
 
-	scsi_target_reap(scsi_target(sdev));
-
 	kfree(sdev->inquiry);
 	kfree(sdev);
 
@@ -978,6 +973,13 @@ void __scsi_remove_device(struct scsi_device *sdev)
 		sdev->host->hostt->slave_destroy(sdev);
 	transport_destroy_device(dev);
 
+	/*
+	 * Paired with the kref_get() in scsi_sysfs_initialize().  We have
+	 * remoed sysfs visibility from the device, so make the target
+	 * invisible if this was the last device underneath it.
+	 */
+	scsi_target_reap(scsi_target(sdev));
+
 	put_device(dev);
 }
 
@@ -1040,7 +1042,7 @@ void scsi_remove_target(struct device *dev)
 			continue;
 		if (starget->dev.parent == dev || &starget->dev == dev) {
 			/* assuming new targets arrive at the end */
-			starget->reap_ref++;
+			kref_get(&starget->reap_ref);
 			spin_unlock_irqrestore(shost->host_lock, flags);
 			if (last)
 				scsi_target_reap(last);
@@ -1124,6 +1126,12 @@ void scsi_sysfs_device_initialize(struct scsi_device *sdev)
 	list_add_tail(&sdev->same_target_siblings, &starget->devices);
 	list_add_tail(&sdev->siblings, &shost->__devices);
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(shost->host_lock, flags);
+	/*
+	 * device can now only be removed via __scsi_remove_device() so hold
+	 * the target.  Target will be held in CREATED state until something
+	 * beneath it becomes visible (in which case it moves to RUNNING)
+	 */
+	kref_get(&starget->reap_ref);
 }
 
 int scsi_is_sdev_device(const struct device *dev)
diff --git a/include/scsi/scsi_device.h b/include/scsi/scsi_device.h
index e65c62e..7efd9a0 100644
--- a/include/scsi/scsi_device.h
+++ b/include/scsi/scsi_device.h
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ struct scsi_target {
 	struct list_head	siblings;
 	struct list_head	devices;
 	struct device		dev;
-	unsigned int		reap_ref; /* protected by the host lock */
+	struct kref		reap_ref; /* last put renders target invisible */
 	unsigned int		channel;
 	unsigned int		id; /* target id ... replace
 				     * scsi_device.id eventually */
@@ -271,7 +271,6 @@ struct scsi_target {
 #define SCSI_DEFAULT_TARGET_BLOCKED	3
 
 	char			scsi_level;
-	struct execute_work	ew;
 	enum scsi_target_state	state;
 	void 			*hostdata; /* available to low-level driver */
 	unsigned long		starget_data[0]; /* for the transport */
