diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_char.c b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_char.c
index 3708233cf736..fd56e7967ee3 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_char.c
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_char.c
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@
 #include <uapi/linux/rpmsg.h>
 
 #include "rpmsg_char.h"
+#include "rpmsg_internal.h"
 
 #define RPMSG_DEV_MAX	(MINORMASK + 1)
 
 static dev_t rpmsg_major;
-static struct class *rpmsg_class;
 
 static DEFINE_IDA(rpmsg_ctrl_ida);
 static DEFINE_IDA(rpmsg_ept_ida);
@@ -547,17 +547,9 @@ static int rpmsg_chrdev_init(void)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	rpmsg_class = class_create(THIS_MODULE, "rpmsg");
-	if (IS_ERR(rpmsg_class)) {
-		pr_err("failed to create rpmsg class\n");
-		unregister_chrdev_region(rpmsg_major, RPMSG_DEV_MAX);
-		return PTR_ERR(rpmsg_class);
-	}
-
 	ret = register_rpmsg_driver(&rpmsg_chrdev_driver);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		pr_err("failed to register rpmsg driver\n");
-		class_destroy(rpmsg_class);
 		unregister_chrdev_region(rpmsg_major, RPMSG_DEV_MAX);
 	}
 
@@ -568,7 +560,6 @@ postcore_initcall(rpmsg_chrdev_init);
 static void rpmsg_chrdev_exit(void)
 {
 	unregister_rpmsg_driver(&rpmsg_chrdev_driver);
-	class_destroy(rpmsg_class);
 	unregister_chrdev_region(rpmsg_major, RPMSG_DEV_MAX);
 }
 module_exit(rpmsg_chrdev_exit);
diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
index a66481a7a5f8..452da4905db0 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 
 #include "rpmsg_internal.h"
 
+struct class *rpmsg_class;
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpmsg_class);
+
 /**
  * rpmsg_create_channel() - create a new rpmsg channel
  * using its name and address info.
@@ -681,10 +684,17 @@ static int __init rpmsg_init(void)
 {
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = bus_register(&rpmsg_bus);
-	if (ret)
-		pr_err("failed to register rpmsg bus: %d\n", ret);
+	rpmsg_class = class_create(THIS_MODULE, "rpmsg");
+	if (IS_ERR(rpmsg_class)) {
+		pr_err("failed to create rpmsg class\n");
+		return PTR_ERR(rpmsg_class);
+	}
 
+	ret = bus_register(&rpmsg_bus);
+	if (ret) {
+		pr_err("failed to register rpmsg bus: %d\n", ret);
+		class_destroy(rpmsg_class);
+	}
 	return ret;
 }
 postcore_initcall(rpmsg_init);
@@ -692,6 +702,7 @@ postcore_initcall(rpmsg_init);
 static void __exit rpmsg_fini(void)
 {
 	bus_unregister(&rpmsg_bus);
+	class_destroy(rpmsg_class);
 }
 module_exit(rpmsg_fini);
 
diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
index 7362c0db0ef2..9c8eafdaf053 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 #define to_rpmsg_device(d) container_of(d, struct rpmsg_device, dev)
 #define to_rpmsg_driver(d) container_of(d, struct rpmsg_driver, drv)
 
+extern struct class *rpmsg_class;
+
 /**
  * struct rpmsg_device_ops - indirection table for the rpmsg_device operations
  * @create_channel:	create backend-specific channel, optional