diff --git a/fs/vfs/fs_eventfd.c b/fs/vfs/fs_eventfd.c
index ac3287b4749..ff0a95db415 100644
--- a/fs/vfs/fs_eventfd.c
+++ b/fs/vfs/fs_eventfd.c
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ static FAR struct eventfd_priv_s *eventfd_allocdev(void)
 
       nxmutex_init(&dev->lock);
       nxmutex_lock(&dev->lock);
+      dev->crefs++;
     }
 
   return dev;
diff --git a/fs/vfs/fs_signalfd.c b/fs/vfs/fs_signalfd.c
index edb4992d003..5b702ae75ca 100644
--- a/fs/vfs/fs_signalfd.c
+++ b/fs/vfs/fs_signalfd.c
@@ -355,6 +355,8 @@ int signalfd(int fd, FAR const sigset_t *mask, int flags)
           ret = -fd;
           goto errout_with_dev;
         }
+
+      dev->crefs++;
     }
   else
     {
diff --git a/fs/vfs/fs_timerfd.c b/fs/vfs/fs_timerfd.c
index fe5cf3cb3eb..f6486ae7880 100644
--- a/fs/vfs/fs_timerfd.c
+++ b/fs/vfs/fs_timerfd.c
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ static FAR struct timerfd_priv_s *timerfd_allocdev(void)
 
       nxmutex_init(&dev->lock);
       nxmutex_lock(&dev->lock);
+      dev->crefs++;
     }
 
   return dev;