diff --git a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gvt/kvmgt.c b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gvt/kvmgt.c
index 0787ba5c301f5e..1cec4f1fdfaced 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gvt/kvmgt.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gvt/kvmgt.c
@@ -810,8 +810,8 @@ static int intel_vgpu_open_device(struct vfio_device *vfio_dev)
 	vgpu->group_notifier.notifier_call = intel_vgpu_group_notifier;
 
 	events = VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY_DMA_UNMAP;
-	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vfio_dev->dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY, &events,
-				&vgpu->iommu_notifier);
+	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vfio_dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY, &events,
+				     &vgpu->iommu_notifier);
 	if (ret != 0) {
 		gvt_vgpu_err("vfio_register_notifier for iommu failed: %d\n",
 			ret);
@@ -819,8 +819,8 @@ static int intel_vgpu_open_device(struct vfio_device *vfio_dev)
 	}
 
 	events = VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY_SET_KVM;
-	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vfio_dev->dev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY, &events,
-				&vgpu->group_notifier);
+	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vfio_dev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY, &events,
+				     &vgpu->group_notifier);
 	if (ret != 0) {
 		gvt_vgpu_err("vfio_register_notifier for group failed: %d\n",
 			ret);
@@ -873,12 +873,12 @@ static int intel_vgpu_open_device(struct vfio_device *vfio_dev)
 	vgpu->vfio_group = NULL;
 
 undo_register:
-	vfio_unregister_notifier(vfio_dev->dev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY,
-					&vgpu->group_notifier);
+	vfio_unregister_notifier(vfio_dev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY,
+				 &vgpu->group_notifier);
 
 undo_iommu:
-	vfio_unregister_notifier(vfio_dev->dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
-					&vgpu->iommu_notifier);
+	vfio_unregister_notifier(vfio_dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
+				 &vgpu->iommu_notifier);
 out:
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -907,13 +907,13 @@ static void __intel_vgpu_release(struct intel_vgpu *vgpu)
 
 	intel_gvt_release_vgpu(vgpu);
 
-	ret = vfio_unregister_notifier(vgpu->vfio_device.dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
-					&vgpu->iommu_notifier);
+	ret = vfio_unregister_notifier(&vgpu->vfio_device, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
+				       &vgpu->iommu_notifier);
 	drm_WARN(&i915->drm, ret,
 		 "vfio_unregister_notifier for iommu failed: %d\n", ret);
 
-	ret = vfio_unregister_notifier(vgpu->vfio_device.dev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY,
-					&vgpu->group_notifier);
+	ret = vfio_unregister_notifier(&vgpu->vfio_device, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY,
+				       &vgpu->group_notifier);
 	drm_WARN(&i915->drm, ret,
 		 "vfio_unregister_notifier for group failed: %d\n", ret);
 
diff --git a/drivers/s390/cio/vfio_ccw_ops.c b/drivers/s390/cio/vfio_ccw_ops.c
index c4d60cdbf247bf..b49e2e9db2dc6f 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/cio/vfio_ccw_ops.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/cio/vfio_ccw_ops.c
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ static int vfio_ccw_mdev_open_device(struct vfio_device *vdev)
 
 	private->nb.notifier_call = vfio_ccw_mdev_notifier;
 
-	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vdev->dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
+	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vdev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
 				     &events, &private->nb);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
@@ -204,8 +204,7 @@ static int vfio_ccw_mdev_open_device(struct vfio_device *vdev)
 
 out_unregister:
 	vfio_ccw_unregister_dev_regions(private);
-	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev->dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
-				 &private->nb);
+	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY, &private->nb);
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -223,7 +222,7 @@ static void vfio_ccw_mdev_close_device(struct vfio_device *vdev)
 
 	cp_free(&private->cp);
 	vfio_ccw_unregister_dev_regions(private);
-	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev->dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY, &private->nb);
+	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY, &private->nb);
 }
 
 static ssize_t vfio_ccw_mdev_read_io_region(struct vfio_ccw_private *private,
diff --git a/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c b/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c
index ee0a3bf8f476ca..bfa7ee6ef532d9 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c
@@ -1406,21 +1406,21 @@ static int vfio_ap_mdev_open_device(struct vfio_device *vdev)
 	matrix_mdev->group_notifier.notifier_call = vfio_ap_mdev_group_notifier;
 	events = VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY_SET_KVM;
 
-	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vdev->dev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY,
-				     &events, &matrix_mdev->group_notifier);
+	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vdev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY, &events,
+				     &matrix_mdev->group_notifier);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
 	matrix_mdev->iommu_notifier.notifier_call = vfio_ap_mdev_iommu_notifier;
 	events = VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY_DMA_UNMAP;
-	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vdev->dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
-				     &events, &matrix_mdev->iommu_notifier);
+	ret = vfio_register_notifier(vdev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY, &events,
+				     &matrix_mdev->iommu_notifier);
 	if (ret)
 		goto out_unregister_group;
 	return 0;
 
 out_unregister_group:
-	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev->dev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY,
+	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY,
 				 &matrix_mdev->group_notifier);
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -1430,9 +1430,9 @@ static void vfio_ap_mdev_close_device(struct vfio_device *vdev)
 	struct ap_matrix_mdev *matrix_mdev =
 		container_of(vdev, struct ap_matrix_mdev, vdev);
 
-	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev->dev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
+	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev, VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY,
 				 &matrix_mdev->iommu_notifier);
-	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev->dev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY,
+	vfio_unregister_notifier(vdev, VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY,
 				 &matrix_mdev->group_notifier);
 	vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm(matrix_mdev);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/vfio/vfio.c b/drivers/vfio/vfio.c
index 0c766384cee0f8..d70890ab9cea92 100644
--- a/drivers/vfio/vfio.c
+++ b/drivers/vfio/vfio.c
@@ -2269,19 +2269,16 @@ static int vfio_unregister_group_notifier(struct vfio_group *group,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int vfio_register_notifier(struct device *dev, enum vfio_notify_type type,
-			   unsigned long *events, struct notifier_block *nb)
+int vfio_register_notifier(struct vfio_device *device,
+			   enum vfio_notify_type type, unsigned long *events,
+			   struct notifier_block *nb)
 {
-	struct vfio_group *group;
+	struct vfio_group *group = device->group;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (!dev || !nb || !events || (*events == 0))
+	if (!nb || !events || (*events == 0))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	group = vfio_group_get_from_dev(dev);
-	if (!group)
-		return -ENODEV;
-
 	switch (type) {
 	case VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY:
 		ret = vfio_register_iommu_notifier(group, events, nb);
@@ -2292,25 +2289,20 @@ int vfio_register_notifier(struct device *dev, enum vfio_notify_type type,
 	default:
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 	}
-
-	vfio_group_put(group);
 	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(vfio_register_notifier);
 
-int vfio_unregister_notifier(struct device *dev, enum vfio_notify_type type,
+int vfio_unregister_notifier(struct vfio_device *device,
+			     enum vfio_notify_type type,
 			     struct notifier_block *nb)
 {
-	struct vfio_group *group;
+	struct vfio_group *group = device->group;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (!dev || !nb)
+	if (!nb)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	group = vfio_group_get_from_dev(dev);
-	if (!group)
-		return -ENODEV;
-
 	switch (type) {
 	case VFIO_IOMMU_NOTIFY:
 		ret = vfio_unregister_iommu_notifier(group, nb);
@@ -2321,8 +2313,6 @@ int vfio_unregister_notifier(struct device *dev, enum vfio_notify_type type,
 	default:
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 	}
-
-	vfio_group_put(group);
 	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(vfio_unregister_notifier);
diff --git a/include/linux/vfio.h b/include/linux/vfio.h
index 66dda06ec42d1b..a00fd722f044b0 100644
--- a/include/linux/vfio.h
+++ b/include/linux/vfio.h
@@ -178,11 +178,11 @@ enum vfio_notify_type {
 /* events for VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY */
 #define VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY_SET_KVM	BIT(0)
 
-extern int vfio_register_notifier(struct device *dev,
+extern int vfio_register_notifier(struct vfio_device *device,
 				  enum vfio_notify_type type,
 				  unsigned long *required_events,
 				  struct notifier_block *nb);
-extern int vfio_unregister_notifier(struct device *dev,
+extern int vfio_unregister_notifier(struct vfio_device *device,
 				    enum vfio_notify_type type,
 				    struct notifier_block *nb);
 
