diff --git a/sys/cddl/dev/dtrace/dtrace_clone.c b/sys/cddl/dev/dtrace/dtrace_clone.c
index be1e3d4..6f1b89a 100644
--- a/sys/cddl/dev/dtrace/dtrace_clone.c
+++ b/sys/cddl/dev/dtrace/dtrace_clone.c
@@ -52,10 +52,8 @@ dtrace_clone(void *arg, struct ucred *cred, char *name, int namelen, struct cdev
 	/* Clone the device to the new minor number. */
 	if (clone_create(&dtrace_clones, &dtrace_cdevsw, &u, dev, 0) != 0)
 		/* Create the /dev/dtrace/dtraceNN entry. */
-		*dev = make_dev_cred(&dtrace_cdevsw, u, cred,
+		*dev = make_dev_credf(MAKEDEV_REF, &dtrace_cdevsw, u, cred,
 		     UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0600, "dtrace/dtrace%d", u);
-	if (*dev != NULL) {
-		dev_ref(*dev);
+	if (*dev != NULL)
 		(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
-	}
 }
diff --git a/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c b/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c
index 1475d00..f483a21 100644
--- a/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c
+++ b/sys/dev/firewire/fwdev.c
@@ -992,11 +992,11 @@ found:
 	sc = devclass_get_softc(firewire_devclass, unit);
 	if (sc == NULL)
 		return;
-	*dev = make_dev(&firewire_cdevsw, MAKEMINOR(devflag[i], unit, sub),
-		       UID_ROOT, GID_OPERATOR, 0660,
-		       "%s%d.%d", devnames[i], unit, sub);
-	dev_ref(*dev);
-	(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
+	*dev = make_dev_credf(MAKEDEV_REF, &firewire_cdevsw,
+	    MAKEMINOR(devflag[i], unit, sub), cred, UID_ROOT, GID_OPERATOR,
+	    0660, "%s%d.%d", devnames[i], unit, sub);
+	if (*dev != NULL)
+		(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
 	dev_depends(sc->dev, *dev);
 	return;
 }
diff --git a/sys/dev/vkbd/vkbd.c b/sys/dev/vkbd/vkbd.c
index 81418f2..e3c7449 100644
--- a/sys/dev/vkbd/vkbd.c
+++ b/sys/dev/vkbd/vkbd.c
@@ -187,12 +187,11 @@ vkbd_dev_clone(void *arg, struct ucred *cred, char *name, int namelen,
 
 	/* find any existing device, or allocate new unit number */
 	if (clone_create(&vkbd_dev_clones, &vkbd_dev_cdevsw, &unit, dev, 0)) {
-		*dev = make_dev(&vkbd_dev_cdevsw, unit,
-			UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0600, DEVICE_NAME "%d", unit);
-		if (*dev != NULL) {
-			dev_ref(*dev);
+		*dev = make_dev_credf(MAKEDEV_REF, &vkbd_dev_cdevsw, unit,
+			cred, UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0600, DEVICE_NAME "%d",
+			unit);
+		if (*dev != NULL)
 			(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
-		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/security/audit/audit_pipe.c b/sys/security/audit/audit_pipe.c
index dc0df3e..662b4fa 100644
--- a/sys/security/audit/audit_pipe.c
+++ b/sys/security/audit/audit_pipe.c
@@ -673,12 +673,10 @@ audit_pipe_clone(void *arg, struct ucred *cred, char *name, int namelen,
 
 	i = clone_create(&audit_pipe_clones, &audit_pipe_cdevsw, &u, dev, 0);
 	if (i) {
-		*dev = make_dev(&audit_pipe_cdevsw, u, UID_ROOT,
-		    GID_WHEEL, 0600, "%s%d", AUDIT_PIPE_NAME, u);
-		if (*dev != NULL) {
-			dev_ref(*dev);
+		*dev = make_dev_credf(MAKEDEV_REF, &audit_pipe_cdevsw, u, cred,
+		    UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0600, "%s%d", AUDIT_PIPE_NAME, u);
+		if (*dev != NULL)
 			(*dev)->si_flags |= SI_CHEAPCLONE;
-		}
 	}
 }