diff --git a/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/rb_hardconfig.c b/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/rb_hardconfig.c
index e6a6928896b..bd0469d5e83 100644
--- a/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/rb_hardconfig.c
+++ b/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/rb_hardconfig.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 
 #include "routerboot.h"
 
-#define RB_HARDCONFIG_VER		"0.06"
+#define RB_HARDCONFIG_VER		"0.07"
 #define RB_HC_PR_PFX			"[rb_hardconfig] "
 
 /* ID values for hardware settings */
@@ -676,10 +676,9 @@ static ssize_t hc_wlan_data_bin_read(struct file *filp, struct kobject *kobj,
 	return count;
 }
 
-int __init rb_hardconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj)
+int rb_hardconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj, struct mtd_info *mtd)
 {
 	struct kobject *hc_wlan_kobj;
-	struct mtd_info *mtd;
 	size_t bytes_read, buflen, outlen;
 	const u8 *buf;
 	void *outbuf;
@@ -690,20 +689,19 @@ int __init rb_hardconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj)
 	hc_kobj = NULL;
 	hc_wlan_kobj = NULL;
 
-	// TODO allow override
-	mtd = get_mtd_device_nm(RB_MTD_HARD_CONFIG);
-	if (IS_ERR(mtd))
+	ret = __get_mtd_device(mtd);
+	if (ret)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	hc_buflen = mtd->size;
 	hc_buf = kmalloc(hc_buflen, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!hc_buf) {
-		put_mtd_device(mtd);
+		__put_mtd_device(mtd);
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
 	ret = mtd_read(mtd, 0, hc_buflen, &bytes_read, hc_buf);
-	put_mtd_device(mtd);
+	__put_mtd_device(mtd);
 
 	if (ret)
 		goto fail;
@@ -818,8 +816,10 @@ fail:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-void __exit rb_hardconfig_exit(void)
+void rb_hardconfig_exit(void)
 {
 	kobject_put(hc_kobj);
+	hc_kobj = NULL;
 	kfree(hc_buf);
+	hc_buf = NULL;
 }
diff --git a/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/rb_softconfig.c b/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/rb_softconfig.c
index 453e1347b2c..5acff6aa918 100644
--- a/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/rb_softconfig.c
+++ b/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/rb_softconfig.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 
 #include "routerboot.h"
 
-#define RB_SOFTCONFIG_VER		"0.04"
+#define RB_SOFTCONFIG_VER		"0.05"
 #define RB_SC_PR_PFX			"[rb_softconfig] "
 
 #define RB_SC_HAS_WRITE_SUPPORT	true
@@ -694,9 +694,8 @@ mtdfail:
 
 static struct kobj_attribute sc_kattrcommit = __ATTR(commit, RB_SC_RMODE|RB_SC_WMODE, sc_commit_show, sc_commit_store);
 
-int __init rb_softconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj)
+int rb_softconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj, struct mtd_info *mtd)
 {
-	struct mtd_info *mtd;
 	size_t bytes_read, buflen;
 	const u8 *buf;
 	int i, ret;
@@ -705,20 +704,19 @@ int __init rb_softconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj)
 	sc_buf = NULL;
 	sc_kobj = NULL;
 
-	// TODO allow override
-	mtd = get_mtd_device_nm(RB_MTD_SOFT_CONFIG);
-	if (IS_ERR(mtd))
+	ret = __get_mtd_device(mtd);
+	if (ret)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	sc_buflen = mtd->size;
 	sc_buf = kmalloc(sc_buflen, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!sc_buf) {
-		put_mtd_device(mtd);
+		__put_mtd_device(mtd);
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
 	ret = mtd_read(mtd, 0, sc_buflen, &bytes_read, sc_buf);
-	put_mtd_device(mtd);
+	__put_mtd_device(mtd);
 
 	if (ret)
 		goto fail;
@@ -788,8 +786,10 @@ fail:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-void __exit rb_softconfig_exit(void)
+void rb_softconfig_exit(void)
 {
 	kobject_put(sc_kobj);
+	sc_kobj = NULL;
 	kfree(sc_buf);
+	sc_buf = NULL;
 }
diff --git a/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/routerboot.c b/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/routerboot.c
index 4c8c0bfac58..96f24609161 100644
--- a/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/routerboot.c
+++ b/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/routerboot.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/sysfs.h>
+#include <linux/mtd/mtd.h>
 
 #include "routerboot.h"
 
@@ -160,25 +161,57 @@ fail:
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static void routerboot_mtd_notifier_add(struct mtd_info *mtd)
+{
+	/* Currently routerboot is only known to live on NOR flash */
+	if (mtd->type != MTD_NORFLASH)
+		return;
+
+	/*
+	 * We ignore the following return values and always register.
+	 * These init() routines are designed so that their failed state is
+	 * always manageable by the corresponding exit() calls.
+	 * Notifier is called with MTD mutex held: use __get/__put variants.
+	 * TODO: allow partition names override
+	 */
+	if (!strcmp(mtd->name, RB_MTD_HARD_CONFIG))
+		rb_hardconfig_init(rb_kobj, mtd);
+	else if (!strcmp(mtd->name, RB_MTD_SOFT_CONFIG))
+		rb_softconfig_init(rb_kobj, mtd);
+}
+
+static void routerboot_mtd_notifier_remove(struct mtd_info *mtd)
+{
+	if (mtd->type != MTD_NORFLASH)
+		return;
+
+	if (!strcmp(mtd->name, RB_MTD_HARD_CONFIG))
+		rb_hardconfig_exit();
+	else if (!strcmp(mtd->name, RB_MTD_SOFT_CONFIG))
+		rb_softconfig_exit();
+}
+
+/* Note: using a notifier prevents qualifying init()/exit() functions with __init/__exit */
+static struct mtd_notifier routerboot_mtd_notifier = {
+	.add = routerboot_mtd_notifier_add,
+	.remove = routerboot_mtd_notifier_remove,
+};
+
 static int __init routerboot_init(void)
 {
 	rb_kobj = kobject_create_and_add("mikrotik", firmware_kobj);
 	if (!rb_kobj)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	/*
-	 * We ignore the following return values and always register.
-	 * These init() routines are designed so that their failed state is
-	 * always manageable by the corresponding exit() calls.
-	 */
-	rb_hardconfig_init(rb_kobj);
-	rb_softconfig_init(rb_kobj);
+	register_mtd_user(&routerboot_mtd_notifier);
 
 	return 0;
 }
 
 static void __exit routerboot_exit(void)
 {
+	unregister_mtd_user(&routerboot_mtd_notifier);
+	/* Exit routines are idempotent */
 	rb_softconfig_exit();
 	rb_hardconfig_exit();
 	kobject_put(rb_kobj);	// recursive afaict
diff --git a/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/routerboot.h b/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/routerboot.h
index 67d89808d56..e858a524af4 100644
--- a/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/routerboot.h
+++ b/target/linux/generic/files/drivers/platform/mikrotik/routerboot.h
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@
 int routerboot_tag_find(const u8 *bufhead, const size_t buflen, const u16 tag_id, u16 *pld_ofs, u16 *pld_len);
 int routerboot_rle_decode(const u8 *in, size_t inlen, u8 *out, size_t *outlen);
 
-int __init rb_hardconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj);
-void __exit rb_hardconfig_exit(void);
+int rb_hardconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj, struct mtd_info *mtd);
+void rb_hardconfig_exit(void);
 
-int __init rb_softconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj);
-void __exit rb_softconfig_exit(void);
+int rb_softconfig_init(struct kobject *rb_kobj, struct mtd_info *mtd);
+void rb_softconfig_exit(void);
 
 ssize_t routerboot_tag_show_string(const u8 *pld, u16 pld_len, char *buf);
 ssize_t routerboot_tag_show_u32s(const u8 *pld, u16 pld_len, char *buf);