diff --git a/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_it87.c b/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_it87.c
index 09f36961c6d29279f24aa350112df15c6e3678cc..ec11c0e949a059476ff252c6ac7daeff4e75d414 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_it87.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_it87.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(lirc_read_queue);
 
 static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(hardware_lock);
 static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(dev_lock);
+static bool device_open;
 
 static int rx_buf[RBUF_LEN];
 unsigned int rx_tail, rx_head;
@@ -147,10 +148,11 @@ static void drop_port(void);
 static int lirc_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
 	spin_lock(&dev_lock);
-	if (module_refcount(THIS_MODULE)) {
+	if (device_open) {
 		spin_unlock(&dev_lock);
 		return -EBUSY;
 	}
+	device_open = true;
 	spin_unlock(&dev_lock);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -158,6 +160,9 @@ static int lirc_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 
 static int lirc_close(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
+	spin_lock(&dev_lock);
+	device_open = false;
+	spin_unlock(&dev_lock);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -363,7 +368,6 @@ static struct lirc_driver driver = {
 };
 
 
-#ifdef MODULE
 static int init_chrdev(void)
 {
 	driver.minor = lirc_register_driver(&driver);
@@ -380,7 +384,6 @@ static void drop_chrdev(void)
 {
 	lirc_unregister_driver(driver.minor);
 }
-#endif
 
 
 /* SECTION: Hardware */
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_parallel.c b/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_parallel.c
index a1ebd071640f7fe3393d7dda28b6c6ea421d1730..6da4a8c6ebc3b3367d23af5c31d3129d8af6f118 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_parallel.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lirc/lirc_parallel.c
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ static void irq_handler(void *blah)
 	unsigned int level, newlevel;
 	unsigned int timeout;
 
-	if (!module_refcount(THIS_MODULE))
+	if (!is_open)
 		return;
 
 	if (!is_claimed)
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ static long lirc_ioctl(struct file *filep, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 
 static int lirc_open(struct inode *node, struct file *filep)
 {
-	if (module_refcount(THIS_MODULE) || !lirc_claim())
+	if (is_open || !lirc_claim())
 		return -EBUSY;
 
 	parport_enable_irq(pport);