int num_ports = 0;
        int max_endpoints;
 
+       lock_kernel(); /* guard against unloading a serial driver module */
        type = search_serial_device(interface);
        if (!type) {
+               unlock_kernel();
                dbg("none matched");
                return -ENODEV;
        }
 
        serial = create_serial (dev, interface, type);
        if (!serial) {
+               unlock_kernel();
                dev_err(&interface->dev, "%s - out of memory\n", __FUNCTION__);
                return -ENOMEM;
        }
                const struct usb_device_id *id;
 
                if (!try_module_get(type->driver.owner)) {
+                       unlock_kernel();
                        dev_err(&interface->dev, "module get failed, exiting\n");
                        kfree (serial);
                        return -EIO;
                module_put(type->driver.owner);
 
                if (retval) {
+                       unlock_kernel();
                        dbg ("sub driver rejected device");
                        kfree (serial);
                        return retval;
                 * properly during a later invocation of usb_serial_probe
                 */
                if (num_bulk_in == 0 || num_bulk_out == 0) {
+                       unlock_kernel();
                        dev_info(&interface->dev, "PL-2303 hack: descriptors matched but endpoints did not\n");
                        kfree (serial);
                        return -ENODEV;
        if (type == &usb_serial_generic_device) {
                num_ports = num_bulk_out;
                if (num_ports == 0) {
+                       unlock_kernel();
                        dev_err(&interface->dev, "Generic device with no bulk out, not allowed.\n");
                        kfree (serial);
                        return -EIO;
                /* if this device type has a calc_num_ports function, call it */
                if (type->calc_num_ports) {
                        if (!try_module_get(type->driver.owner)) {
+                               unlock_kernel();
                                dev_err(&interface->dev, "module get failed, exiting\n");
                                kfree (serial);
                                return -EIO;
        max_endpoints = max(max_endpoints, num_interrupt_out);
        max_endpoints = max(max_endpoints, (int)serial->num_ports);
        serial->num_port_pointers = max_endpoints;
+       unlock_kernel();
+
        dbg("%s - setting up %d port structures for this device", __FUNCTION__, max_endpoints);
        for (i = 0; i < max_endpoints; ++i) {
                port = kzalloc(sizeof(struct usb_serial_port), GFP_KERNEL);
        set_to_generic_if_null(device, shutdown);
 }
 
-int usb_serial_register(struct usb_serial_driver *driver)
+int usb_serial_register(struct usb_serial_driver *driver) /* must be called with BKL held */
 {
        int retval;
 
 }
 
 
-void usb_serial_deregister(struct usb_serial_driver *device)
+void usb_serial_deregister(struct usb_serial_driver *device) /* must be called with BKL held */
 {
        info("USB Serial deregistering driver %s", device->description);
        list_del(&device->driver_list);