diff --git a/opencl/source/api/api.cpp b/opencl/source/api/api.cpp
index 5ba7e8e369..19773f2066 100644
--- a/opencl/source/api/api.cpp
+++ b/opencl/source/api/api.cpp
@@ -306,7 +306,9 @@ cl_int CL_API_CALL clCreateSubDevices(cl_device_id inDevice,
     }
 
     for (uint32_t i = 0; i < subDevicesCount; i++) {
-        outDevices[i] = pInDevice->getDeviceById(i);
+        auto pClDevice = pInDevice->getDeviceById(i);
+        pClDevice->retainApi();
+        outDevices[i] = pClDevice;
     }
 
     return CL_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/opencl/source/device/cl_device.cpp b/opencl/source/device/cl_device.cpp
index 0a1989c085..8457b569b9 100644
--- a/opencl/source/device/cl_device.cpp
+++ b/opencl/source/device/cl_device.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ ClDevice::ClDevice(Device &device, Platform *platform) : device(device), platfor
             deviceInfo.partitionType[1] = CL_DEVICE_AFFINITY_DOMAIN_NUMA;
             deviceInfo.partitionType[2] = 0;
 
-            subDevices.push_back(std::make_unique<ClDevice>(coreSubDevice, platform));
+            auto pClSubDevice = std::make_unique<ClDevice>(coreSubDevice, platform);
+            pClSubDevice->incRefInternal();
+            pClSubDevice->decRefApi();
+            subDevices.push_back(std::move(pClSubDevice));
         }
     }
     if (device.getDeviceInfo().debuggerActive) {
@@ -72,18 +75,20 @@ unsigned int ClDevice::getEnabledClVersion() const { return device.getEnabledClV
 unsigned int ClDevice::getSupportedClVersion() const { return device.getSupportedClVersion(); }
 
 void ClDevice::retainApi() {
-    if (device.isReleasable()) {
-        auto pPlatform = castToObject<Platform>(platformId);
-        pPlatform->getClDevice(device.getRootDeviceIndex())->incRefInternal();
+    auto parentDeviceId = device.getDeviceInfo().parentDevice;
+    if (parentDeviceId) {
+        auto pParentClDevice = static_cast<ClDevice *>(parentDeviceId);
+        pParentClDevice->incRefInternal();
         this->incRefApi();
     }
 };
 unique_ptr_if_unused<ClDevice> ClDevice::releaseApi() {
-    if (!device.isReleasable()) {
+    auto parentDeviceId = device.getDeviceInfo().parentDevice;
+    if (!parentDeviceId) {
         return unique_ptr_if_unused<ClDevice>(this, false);
     }
-    auto pPlatform = castToObject<Platform>(platformId);
-    pPlatform->getClDevice(device.getRootDeviceIndex())->decRefInternal();
+    auto pParentClDevice = static_cast<ClDevice *>(parentDeviceId);
+    pParentClDevice->decRefInternal();
     return this->decRefApi();
 }
 
diff --git a/opencl/test/unit_test/api/cl_create_sub_devices_tests.inl b/opencl/test/unit_test/api/cl_create_sub_devices_tests.inl
index e9b3d29e1f..03359977b5 100644
--- a/opencl/test/unit_test/api/cl_create_sub_devices_tests.inl
+++ b/opencl/test/unit_test/api/cl_create_sub_devices_tests.inl
@@ -104,6 +104,23 @@ TEST_F(clCreateSubDevicesTests, GivenValidInputWhenCreatingSubDevicesThenSubDevi
     EXPECT_EQ(outDevices[1], outDevices2[1]);
 }
 
+TEST_F(clCreateSubDevicesTests, GivenValidInputWhenCreatingSubDevicesThenDeviceApiReferenceCountIsIncreasedEveryTime) {
+    setup(2);
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, device->getDeviceById(0)->getRefApiCount());
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, device->getDeviceById(1)->getRefApiCount());
+
+    auto retVal = clCreateSubDevices(device.get(), properties, outDevicesCount, outDevices, nullptr);
+    EXPECT_EQ(CL_SUCCESS, retVal);
+    EXPECT_EQ(1, device->getDeviceById(0)->getRefApiCount());
+    EXPECT_EQ(1, device->getDeviceById(1)->getRefApiCount());
+
+    retVal = clCreateSubDevices(device.get(), properties, outDevicesCount, outDevices, nullptr);
+    EXPECT_EQ(CL_SUCCESS, retVal);
+    EXPECT_EQ(2, device->getDeviceById(0)->getRefApiCount());
+    EXPECT_EQ(2, device->getDeviceById(1)->getRefApiCount());
+}
+
 struct clCreateSubDevicesDeviceInfoTests : clCreateSubDevicesTests {
     void setup(int numberOfDevices) {
         clCreateSubDevicesTests::setup(numberOfDevices);
diff --git a/shared/source/device/device.h b/shared/source/device/device.h
index d6a29b0908..7fb8481b11 100644
--- a/shared/source/device/device.h
+++ b/shared/source/device/device.h
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@ class Device : public ReferenceTrackedObject<Device> {
         return createDeviceInternals(device);
     }
 
-    virtual bool isReleasable() = 0;
-
     bool getDeviceAndHostTimer(uint64_t *deviceTimestamp, uint64_t *hostTimestamp) const;
     bool getHostTimer(uint64_t *hostTimestamp) const;
     const HardwareInfo &getHardwareInfo() const;
diff --git a/shared/source/device/root_device.cpp b/shared/source/device/root_device.cpp
index a40828fa22..4b920c337f 100644
--- a/shared/source/device/root_device.cpp
+++ b/shared/source/device/root_device.cpp
@@ -76,9 +76,6 @@ bool RootDevice::createDeviceImpl() {
     }
     return true;
 }
-bool RootDevice::isReleasable() {
-    return false;
-};
 DeviceBitfield RootDevice::getDeviceBitfield() const {
     DeviceBitfield deviceBitfield{static_cast<uint32_t>(maxNBitValue(getNumAvailableDevices()))};
     return deviceBitfield;
diff --git a/shared/source/device/root_device.h b/shared/source/device/root_device.h
index 8de3e7cf3c..b8b62e78f8 100644
--- a/shared/source/device/root_device.h
+++ b/shared/source/device/root_device.h
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ class RootDevice : public Device {
     uint32_t getNumAvailableDevices() const override;
     uint32_t getRootDeviceIndex() const override;
     Device *getDeviceById(uint32_t deviceId) const override;
-    bool isReleasable() override;
 
     uint32_t getNumSubDevices() const;
 
diff --git a/shared/source/device/sub_device.cpp b/shared/source/device/sub_device.cpp
index 2eca39b840..33cef34d2e 100644
--- a/shared/source/device/sub_device.cpp
+++ b/shared/source/device/sub_device.cpp
@@ -15,10 +15,6 @@ SubDevice::SubDevice(ExecutionEnvironment *executionEnvironment, uint32_t subDev
     : Device(executionEnvironment), subDeviceIndex(subDeviceIndex), rootDevice(rootDevice) {
 }
 
-bool SubDevice::isReleasable() {
-    return true;
-};
-
 DeviceBitfield SubDevice::getDeviceBitfield() const {
     DeviceBitfield deviceBitfield;
     deviceBitfield.set(subDeviceIndex);
diff --git a/shared/source/device/sub_device.h b/shared/source/device/sub_device.h
index 36fa2d5586..68fe4482dd 100644
--- a/shared/source/device/sub_device.h
+++ b/shared/source/device/sub_device.h
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ class SubDevice : public Device {
     constexpr static uint32_t unspecifiedSubDeviceIndex = std::numeric_limits<uint32_t>::max();
 
     SubDevice(ExecutionEnvironment *executionEnvironment, uint32_t subDeviceIndex, RootDevice &rootDevice);
-    bool isReleasable() override;
     uint32_t getNumAvailableDevices() const override;
     uint32_t getRootDeviceIndex() const override;
     Device *getDeviceById(uint32_t deviceId) const override;