diff --git a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-dev.c b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-dev.c
index a593ea0598b5..a81ea5b01f12 100644
--- a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-dev.c
+++ b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-dev.c
@@ -873,10 +873,9 @@ static int video_register_media_controller(struct video_device *vdev)
 	return 0;
 }

-int __video_register_device(struct video_device *vdev,
-			    enum vfl_devnode_type type,
-			    int nr, int warn_if_nr_in_use,
-			    struct module *owner)
+int v4l2_vdev_init(struct video_device *vdev,
+		   enum vfl_devnode_type type,
+		   int nr, int warn_if_nr_in_use)
 {
 	int i = 0;
 	int ret;
@@ -1009,7 +1008,68 @@ int __video_register_device(struct video_device *vdev,
 	if (vdev->ioctl_ops)
 		determine_valid_ioctls(vdev);

-	/* Part 3: Initialize the character device */
+	/* Part 3: initialize vdev->dev */
+	vdev->dev.class = &video_class;
+	vdev->dev.devt = MKDEV(VIDEO_MAJOR, vdev->minor);
+	vdev->dev.parent = vdev->dev_parent;
+	dev_set_name(&vdev->dev, "%s%d", name_base, vdev->num);
+	/* Register the release callback that will be called when the last
+	   reference to the device goes away. */
+	vdev->dev.release = v4l2_device_release;
+
+	if (nr != -1 && nr != vdev->num && warn_if_nr_in_use)
+		pr_warn("%s: requested %s%d, got %s\n", __func__,
+			name_base, nr, video_device_node_name(vdev));
+
+	/* Part 4: Register the entity. */
+	ret = video_register_media_controller(vdev);
+	if (ret)
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	/* Part 5: mark as initialized. */
+	set_bit(V4L2_FL_INITIALIZED, &vdev->flags);
+
+	return 0;
+
+cleanup:
+	mutex_lock(&videodev_lock);
+	video_devices[vdev->minor] = NULL;
+	devnode_clear(vdev);
+	mutex_unlock(&videodev_lock);
+	/* Mark this video device as never having been registered. */
+	vdev->minor = -1;
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(v4l2_vdev_init);
+
+void v4l2_vdev_uninit(struct video_device *vdev)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&videodev_lock);
+	clear_bit(V4L2_FL_INITIALIZED, &vdev->flags);
+	video_devices[vdev->minor] = NULL;
+	devnode_clear(vdev);
+	mutex_unlock(&videodev_lock);
+#if defined(CONFIG_MEDIA_CONTROLLER)
+	if (vdev->v4l2_dev->mdev && vdev->vfl_dir != VFL_DIR_M2M) {
+		/* Remove interfaces and interface links */
+		media_devnode_remove(vdev->intf_devnode);
+		if (vdev->entity.function != MEDIA_ENT_F_UNKNOWN)
+			media_device_unregister_entity(&vdev->entity);
+	}
+#endif
+	/* Mark this video device as never having been registered. */
+	vdev->minor = -1;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(v4l2_vdev_uninit);
+
+int v4l2_vdev_register(struct video_device *vdev, struct module *owner)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	if (WARN_ON(!test_bit(V4L2_FL_INITIALIZED, &vdev->flags)))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	/* Part 1: Initialize the character device */
 	vdev->cdev = cdev_alloc();
 	if (vdev->cdev == NULL) {
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
@@ -1025,11 +1085,7 @@ int __video_register_device(struct video_device *vdev,
 		goto cleanup;
 	}

-	/* Part 4: register the device with sysfs */
-	vdev->dev.class = &video_class;
-	vdev->dev.devt = MKDEV(VIDEO_MAJOR, vdev->minor);
-	vdev->dev.parent = vdev->dev_parent;
-	dev_set_name(&vdev->dev, "%s%d", name_base, vdev->num);
+	/* Part 2: register the device with sysfs */
 	ret = device_register(&vdev->dev);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		pr_err("%s: device_register failed\n", __func__);
@@ -1039,17 +1095,10 @@ int __video_register_device(struct video_device *vdev,
 	   reference to the device goes away. */
 	vdev->dev.release = v4l2_device_release;

-	if (nr != -1 && nr != vdev->num && warn_if_nr_in_use)
-		pr_warn("%s: requested %s%d, got %s\n", __func__,
-			name_base, nr, video_device_node_name(vdev));
-
 	/* Increase v4l2_device refcount */
 	v4l2_device_get(vdev->v4l2_dev);

-	/* Part 5: Register the entity. */
-	ret = video_register_media_controller(vdev);
-
-	/* Part 6: Activate this minor. The char device can now be used. */
+	/* Part 3: Activate this minor. The char device can now be used. */
 	set_bit(V4L2_FL_REGISTERED, &vdev->flags);

 	return 0;
@@ -1058,11 +1107,24 @@ int __video_register_device(struct video_device *vdev,
 	mutex_lock(&videodev_lock);
 	if (vdev->cdev)
 		cdev_del(vdev->cdev);
-	video_devices[vdev->minor] = NULL;
-	devnode_clear(vdev);
 	mutex_unlock(&videodev_lock);
-	/* Mark this video device as never having been registered. */
-	vdev->minor = -1;
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(v4l2_vdev_register);
+
+int __video_register_device(struct video_device *vdev,
+			    enum vfl_devnode_type type,
+			    int nr, int warn_if_nr_in_use,
+			    struct module *owner)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = v4l2_vdev_init(vdev, type, nr, warn_if_nr_in_use);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+	ret = v4l2_vdev_register(vdev, owner);
+	if (ret)
+		v4l2_vdev_uninit(vdev);
 	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(__video_register_device);
diff --git a/include/media/v4l2-dev.h b/include/media/v4l2-dev.h
index ad2d41952442..0a8e22e92e6a 100644
--- a/include/media/v4l2-dev.h
+++ b/include/media/v4l2-dev.h
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ struct v4l2_ctrl_handler;
 /**
  * enum v4l2_video_device_flags - Flags used by &struct video_device
  *
+ * @V4L2_FL_INITIALIZED:
+ *	indicates that a &struct video_device is initialized.
+ *	It is cleared by video_unregister_device.
  * @V4L2_FL_REGISTERED:
  *	indicates that a &struct video_device is registered.
  *	Drivers can clear this flag if they want to block all future
@@ -90,10 +93,11 @@ struct v4l2_ctrl_handler;
  *	handler to restrict access to some ioctl calls.
  */
 enum v4l2_video_device_flags {
-	V4L2_FL_REGISTERED		= 0,
-	V4L2_FL_USES_V4L2_FH		= 1,
-	V4L2_FL_QUIRK_INVERTED_CROP	= 2,
-	V4L2_FL_SUBDEV_RO_DEVNODE	= 3,
+	V4L2_FL_INITIALIZED,
+	V4L2_FL_REGISTERED,
+	V4L2_FL_USES_V4L2_FH,
+	V4L2_FL_QUIRK_INVERTED_CROP,
+	V4L2_FL_SUBDEV_RO_DEVNODE,
 };

 /* Priority helper functions */
@@ -326,6 +330,13 @@ struct video_device
  */
 #define to_video_device(cd) container_of(cd, struct video_device, dev)

+int v4l2_vdev_init(struct video_device *vdev,
+		   enum vfl_devnode_type type,
+		   int nr, int warn_if_nr_in_use);
+void v4l2_vdev_uninit(struct video_device *vdev);
+
+int v4l2_vdev_register(struct video_device *vdev, struct module *owner);
+
 /**
  * __video_register_device - register video4linux devices
  *
