diff --git a/drivers/input/ff-core.c b/drivers/input/ff-core.c
index 8f2042432c85..66a46c84e28f 100644
--- a/drivers/input/ff-core.c
+++ b/drivers/input/ff-core.c
@@ -237,9 +237,15 @@ int input_ff_erase(struct input_dev *dev, int effect_id, struct file *file)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(input_ff_erase);
 
 /*
- * flush_effects - erase all effects owned by a file handle
+ * input_ff_flush - erase all effects owned by a file handle
+ * @dev: input device to erase effect from
+ * @file: purported owner of the effects
+ *
+ * This function erases all force-feedback effects associated with
+ * the given owner from specified device. Note that @file may be %NULL,
+ * in which case all effects will be erased.
  */
-static int flush_effects(struct input_dev *dev, struct file *file)
+int input_ff_flush(struct input_dev *dev, struct file *file)
 {
 	struct ff_device *ff = dev->ff;
 	int i;
@@ -255,6 +261,7 @@ static int flush_effects(struct input_dev *dev, struct file *file)
 
 	return 0;
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(input_ff_flush);
 
 /**
  * input_ff_event() - generic handler for force-feedback events
@@ -343,7 +350,7 @@ int input_ff_create(struct input_dev *dev, unsigned int max_effects)
 	mutex_init(&ff->mutex);
 
 	dev->ff = ff;
-	dev->flush = flush_effects;
+	dev->flush = input_ff_flush;
 	dev->event = input_ff_event;
 	__set_bit(EV_FF, dev->evbit);
 
diff --git a/drivers/input/misc/uinput.c b/drivers/input/misc/uinput.c
index 022be0e22eba..2cff40be8860 100644
--- a/drivers/input/misc/uinput.c
+++ b/drivers/input/misc/uinput.c
@@ -230,6 +230,18 @@ static int uinput_dev_erase_effect(struct input_dev *dev, int effect_id)
 	return uinput_request_submit(udev, &request);
 }
 
+static int uinput_dev_flush(struct input_dev *dev, struct file *file)
+{
+	/*
+	 * If we are called with file == NULL that means we are tearing
+	 * down the device, and therefore we can not handle FF erase
+	 * requests: either we are handling UI_DEV_DESTROY (and holding
+	 * the udev->mutex), or the file descriptor is closed and there is
+	 * nobody on the other side anymore.
+	 */
+	return file ? input_ff_flush(dev, file) : 0;
+}
+
 static void uinput_destroy_device(struct uinput_device *udev)
 {
 	const char *name, *phys;
@@ -297,6 +309,12 @@ static int uinput_create_device(struct uinput_device *udev)
 		dev->ff->playback = uinput_dev_playback;
 		dev->ff->set_gain = uinput_dev_set_gain;
 		dev->ff->set_autocenter = uinput_dev_set_autocenter;
+		/*
+		 * The standard input_ff_flush() implementation does
+		 * not quite work for uinput as we can't reasonably
+		 * handle FF requests during device teardown.
+		 */
+		dev->flush = uinput_dev_flush;
 	}
 
 	error = input_register_device(udev->dev);
diff --git a/include/linux/input.h b/include/linux/input.h
index a65e3b24fb18..fb5e23c7ed98 100644
--- a/include/linux/input.h
+++ b/include/linux/input.h
@@ -529,6 +529,7 @@ int input_ff_event(struct input_dev *dev, unsigned int type, unsigned int code,
 
 int input_ff_upload(struct input_dev *dev, struct ff_effect *effect, struct file *file);
 int input_ff_erase(struct input_dev *dev, int effect_id, struct file *file);
+int input_ff_flush(struct input_dev *dev, struct file *file);
 
 int input_ff_create_memless(struct input_dev *dev, void *data,
 		int (*play_effect)(struct input_dev *, void *, struct ff_effect *));