diff --git a/fs/vfs/fs_unlink.c b/fs/vfs/fs_unlink.c
index 6a294196be..fae0b59b0f 100644
--- a/fs/vfs/fs_unlink.c
+++ b/fs/vfs/fs_unlink.c
@@ -161,6 +161,26 @@ int unlink(FAR const char *pathname)
               goto errout_with_inode;
             }
 
+          /* Notify the character driver that it has been unlinked.  If
+           * there are no open references to the driver instance, then the
+           * driver should clean release all resources because it is no
+           * longer accessible.
+           */
+
+          if (INODE_IS_DRIVER(inode) && inode->u.i_ops->unlink)
+            {
+              /* The value passed to the driver is the same value that was
+               * provided to register_driver();
+               */
+
+              ret = inode->u.i_ops->unlink(inode->i_private);
+              if (ret < 0)
+                {
+                  errcode = -ret;
+                  goto errout_with_inode;
+                }
+            }
+
           /* Remove the old inode.  Because we hold a reference count on the
            * inode, it will not be deleted now.  It will be deleted when all
            * of the references to to the inode have been released (perhaps
diff --git a/include/nuttx/fs/fs.h b/include/nuttx/fs/fs.h
index 20b318033d..6a1c591ab2 100644
--- a/include/nuttx/fs/fs.h
+++ b/include/nuttx/fs/fs.h
@@ -91,11 +91,13 @@ struct file_operations
   ssize_t (*write)(FAR struct file *filep, FAR const char *buffer, size_t buflen);
   off_t   (*seek)(FAR struct file *filep, off_t offset, int whence);
   int     (*ioctl)(FAR struct file *filep, int cmd, unsigned long arg);
+
+  /* The two structures need not be common after this point */
+
 #ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_POLL
   int     (*poll)(FAR struct file *filep, struct pollfd *fds, bool setup);
 #endif
-
-  /* The two structures need not be common after this point */
+  int     (*unlink)(FAR void *priv);
 };
 
 /* This structure provides information about the state of a block driver */
@@ -234,7 +236,6 @@ union inode_ops_u
 #ifndef CONFIG_DISABLE_MQUEUE
   FAR struct mqueue_inode_s             *i_mqueue; /* POSIX message queue */
 #endif
-
 };
 
 /* This structure represents one inode in the Nuttx pseudo-file system */