diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/clk/clk_arb.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/clk/clk_arb.c
index 180b4fde6..572de6742 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/clk/clk_arb.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/clk/clk_arb.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <nvgpu/kmem.h>
 #include <nvgpu/atomic.h>
 #include <nvgpu/bug.h>
+#include <nvgpu/kref.h>
 
 #include "gk20a/gk20a.h"
 #include "clk/clk_arb.h"
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.h
index 77dae9a73..c26cd250a 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.h
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@
 #ifndef _GK20A_FENCE_H_
 #define _GK20A_FENCE_H_
 
-#include <linux/kref.h>
 #include <linux/wait.h>
 
+#include <nvgpu/kref.h>
+
 struct platform_device;
 struct sync_timeline;
 struct sync_fence;
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h
index 70addf133..0bec9e826 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include "tsg_gk20a.h"
 #include "debug_gk20a.h"
 
+#include <nvgpu/kref.h>
+
 #define MAX_RUNLIST_BUFFERS		2
 
 #define FIFO_INVAL_ENGINE_ID		((u32)~0)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.h
index 85878423a..763cccafc 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/gk20a.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct dbg_profiler_object_data;
 #include <nvgpu/log.h>
 #include <nvgpu/pramin.h>
 #include <nvgpu/acr/nvgpu_acr.h>
+#include <nvgpu/kref.h>
 
 #include "clk_gk20a.h"
 #include "ce2_gk20a.h"
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/mm_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/mm_gk20a.h
index 924c1d3d4..7452a0c1b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/mm_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/mm_gk20a.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <nvgpu/allocator.h>
 #include <nvgpu/list.h>
 #include <nvgpu/rbtree.h>
+#include <nvgpu/kref.h>
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ARM64
 #define outer_flush_range(a, b)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/sync_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/sync_gk20a.c
index 04afe0a34..10c4f57b0 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/sync_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/sync_gk20a.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <nvgpu/kmem.h>
 #include <nvgpu/semaphore.h>
 #include <nvgpu/bug.h>
+#include <nvgpu/kref.h>
 
 #include "../drivers/staging/android/sync.h"
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/tsg_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/tsg_gk20a.h
index 178b8672e..945058a24 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/tsg_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/tsg_gk20a.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #define __TSG_GK20A_H_
 
 #include <nvgpu/lock.h>
+#include <nvgpu/kref.h>
 
 #define NVGPU_INVALID_TSG_ID (-1)
 
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/kref.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/kref.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d24db603d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/kref.h
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2017, NVIDIA CORPORATION.  All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms and conditions of the GNU General Public License,
+ * version 2, as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for
+ * more details.
+ */
+#ifndef __NVGPU_KREF_H__
+#define __NVGPU_KREF_H__
+
+#ifdef __KERNEL__
+#include <linux/kref.h>
+#endif
+
+#endif /* __NVGPU_KREF_H__ */
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/semaphore.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/semaphore.h
index 6ab34d675..8e939e724 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/semaphore.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/semaphore.h
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #ifndef SEMAPHORE_GK20A_H
 #define SEMAPHORE_GK20A_H
 
-#include <linux/kref.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/delay.h>
 
@@ -22,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <nvgpu/allocator.h>
 #include <nvgpu/atomic.h>
 #include <nvgpu/bug.h>
+#include <nvgpu/kref.h>
 
 #include "gk20a/gk20a.h"
 #include "gk20a/mm_gk20a.h"