diff --git a/fcst/ft_sess.c b/fcst/ft_sess.c
index c482c74c0..7486d1327 100644
--- a/fcst/ft_sess.c
+++ b/fcst/ft_sess.c
@@ -49,12 +49,8 @@ static struct ft_tport *ft_tport_create(struct fc_lport *lport)
 	ft_format_wwn(name, sizeof(name), lport->wwpn);
 	FT_SESS_DBG("create %s\n", name);
 
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 34)
 	tport = rcu_dereference_protected(lport->prov[FC_TYPE_FCP],
 					  lockdep_is_held(&ft_lport_lock));
-#else
-	tport = rcu_dereference(lport->prov[FC_TYPE_FCP]);
-#endif
 	if (tport) {
 		FT_SESS_DBG("tport alloc %s - already setup\n", name);
 		return tport;
@@ -187,11 +183,7 @@ static struct ft_sess *ft_sess_get(struct fc_lport *lport, u32 port_id)
 	struct ft_sess *sess;
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 34)
 	tport = rcu_dereference_protected(lport->prov[FC_TYPE_FCP], true);
-#else
-	tport = rcu_dereference(lport->prov[FC_TYPE_FCP]);
-#endif
 	if (!tport)
 		goto out;
 
@@ -406,13 +398,9 @@ static int ft_prli_locked(struct fc_rport_priv *rdata, u32 spp_len,
 
 		if (!(fcp_parm & FCP_SPPF_INIT_FCN))
 			return FC_SPP_RESP_CONF;
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 34)
 		tport = rcu_dereference_protected(
 					rdata->local_port->prov[FC_TYPE_FCP],
 					lockdep_is_held(&ft_lport_lock));
-#else
-		tport = rcu_dereference(rdata->local_port->prov[FC_TYPE_FCP]);
-#endif
 		if (!tport) {
 			/* not a target for this local port */
 			return FC_SPP_RESP_CONF;
@@ -482,11 +470,7 @@ static void ft_sess_free(struct kref *kref)
 static void ft_sess_put(struct ft_sess *sess)
 {
 	BUG_ON(!sess);
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(4, 11, 0)
 	BUG_ON(kref_read(&sess->kref) <= 0);
-#else
-	BUG_ON(atomic_read(&sess->kref.refcount) <= 0);
-#endif
 	kref_put(&sess->kref, ft_sess_free);
 }
 
@@ -496,12 +480,8 @@ static void ft_prlo(struct fc_rport_priv *rdata)
 	struct ft_tport *tport;
 
 	mutex_lock(&ft_lport_lock);
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 34)
 	tport = rcu_dereference_protected(rdata->local_port->prov[FC_TYPE_FCP],
 					  lockdep_is_held(&ft_lport_lock));
-#else
-	tport = rcu_dereference(rdata->local_port->prov[FC_TYPE_FCP]);
-#endif
 	if (!tport) {
 		mutex_unlock(&ft_lport_lock);
 		return;
diff --git a/iscsi-scst/kernel/isert-scst/iser_rdma.c b/iscsi-scst/kernel/isert-scst/iser_rdma.c
index bfc03f0d9..192494545 100644
--- a/iscsi-scst/kernel/isert-scst/iser_rdma.c
+++ b/iscsi-scst/kernel/isert-scst/iser_rdma.c
@@ -1402,11 +1402,7 @@ static void isert_kref_free(struct kref *kref)
 
 void isert_conn_free(struct isert_connection *isert_conn)
 {
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(4, 11, 0)
 	sBUG_ON(kref_read(&isert_conn->kref) == 0);
-#else
-	sBUG_ON(atomic_read(&isert_conn->kref.refcount) == 0);
-#endif
 	kref_put(&isert_conn->kref, isert_kref_free);
 }
 
diff --git a/iscsi-scst/kernel/isert-scst/isert_login.c b/iscsi-scst/kernel/isert-scst/isert_login.c
index a6ffea6af..6c9e2eac4 100644
--- a/iscsi-scst/kernel/isert-scst/isert_login.c
+++ b/iscsi-scst/kernel/isert-scst/isert_login.c
@@ -113,11 +113,7 @@ static void isert_kref_release_dev(struct kref *kref)
 
 static void isert_dev_release(struct isert_conn_dev *dev)
 {
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(4, 11, 0)
 	sBUG_ON(kref_read(&dev->kref) == 0);
-#else
-	sBUG_ON(atomic_read(&dev->kref.refcount) == 0);
-#endif
 	mutex_lock(&isert_listen_dev.conn_lock);
 	kref_put(&dev->kref, isert_kref_release_dev);
 	mutex_unlock(&isert_listen_dev.conn_lock);
diff --git a/scst/include/backport.h b/scst/include/backport.h
index 638e57e35..6f67ec001 100644
--- a/scst/include/backport.h
+++ b/scst/include/backport.h
@@ -361,12 +361,17 @@ static inline int __must_check kref_get_unless_zero(struct kref *kref)
 }
 #endif
 
+/* See also commit 2c935bc57221 */
+#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(4, 11, 0)
+#define kref_read(kref) (atomic_read(&(kref)->refcount))
+#endif
+
 /* <linux/kthread.h> */
 
 /* See also commit 207205a2ba26 */
 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 39)
 #define kthread_create_on_node(threadfn, data, node, namefmt, arg...)\
-	kthread_create((threadfn), (data), ##arg)
+	kthread_create((threadfn), (data), (namefmt), ##arg)
 #endif
 
 /* <linux/ktime.h> */
@@ -520,6 +525,11 @@ static inline int __ratelimit(struct ratelimit_state *rs)
 
 /* <linux/rcupdate.h> */
 
+/* See also commit b62730baea32 */
+#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 34)
+#define rcu_dereference_protected(p, c) rcu_dereference(p)
+#endif
+
 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3, 0, 0) && !defined(kfree_rcu)
 typedef void (*rcu_callback_t)(struct rcu_head *);
 #define __is_kfree_rcu_offset(offset) ((offset) < 4096)
diff --git a/scst/src/scst_sysfs.c b/scst/src/scst_sysfs.c
index 783790ac6..5c9d311c1 100644
--- a/scst/src/scst_sysfs.c
+++ b/scst/src/scst_sysfs.c
@@ -1203,13 +1203,7 @@ void scst_kobject_put_and_wait(struct kobject *kobj, const char *category,
 		goto out_free;
 
 	PRINT_INFO("Waiting for release of sysfs entry for %s %s (%d refs)",
-		   category, name ? : "(?)",
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(4, 11, 0)
-		   kref_read(&kobj->kref)
-#else
-		   atomic_read(&kobj->kref.refcount)
-#endif
-		   );
+		   category, name ? : "(?)", kref_read(&kobj->kref));
 	wait_for_completion(c);
 	PRINT_INFO("Finished waiting for release of %s %s sysfs entry",
 		   category, name ? : "(?)");