diff --git a/drivers/spi/spi.c b/drivers/spi/spi.c
index e2415be209d5..3f135cc9a70e 100644
--- a/drivers/spi/spi.c
+++ b/drivers/spi/spi.c
@@ -604,6 +604,20 @@ struct spi_device *spi_new_device(struct spi_master *master,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(spi_new_device);
 
+/**
+ * spi_unregister_device - unregister a single SPI device
+ * @spi: spi_device to unregister
+ *
+ * Start making the passed SPI device vanish. Normally this would be handled
+ * by spi_unregister_master().
+ */
+void spi_unregister_device(struct spi_device *spi)
+{
+	if (spi)
+		device_unregister(&spi->dev);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(spi_unregister_device);
+
 static void spi_match_master_to_boardinfo(struct spi_master *master,
 				struct spi_board_info *bi)
 {
diff --git a/include/linux/spi/spi.h b/include/linux/spi/spi.h
index cce80e6dc7d1..075bede66521 100644
--- a/include/linux/spi/spi.h
+++ b/include/linux/spi/spi.h
@@ -1115,12 +1115,7 @@ spi_add_device(struct spi_device *spi);
 extern struct spi_device *
 spi_new_device(struct spi_master *, struct spi_board_info *);
 
-static inline void
-spi_unregister_device(struct spi_device *spi)
-{
-	if (spi)
-		device_unregister(&spi->dev);
-}
+extern void spi_unregister_device(struct spi_device *spi);
 
 extern const struct spi_device_id *
 spi_get_device_id(const struct spi_device *sdev);