diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_rename.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_rename.c
index 6a141427f68a..d8063e1ad298 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_rename.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_rename.c
@@ -137,9 +137,7 @@ xfs_rename(
 	int		cancel_flags;
 	int		committed;
 	xfs_inode_t	*inodes[4];
-	int		target_ip_dropped = 0;	/* dropped target_ip link? */
 	int		spaceres;
-	int		target_link_zero = 0;
 	int		num_inodes;
 
 	xfs_itrace_entry(src_dp);
@@ -174,10 +172,6 @@ xfs_rename(
 	xfs_sort_for_rename(src_dp, target_dp, src_ip, target_ip,
 				inodes, &num_inodes);
 
-	IHOLD(src_ip);
-	if (target_ip)
-		IHOLD(target_ip);
-
 	XFS_BMAP_INIT(&free_list, &first_block);
 	tp = xfs_trans_alloc(mp, XFS_TRANS_RENAME);
 	cancel_flags = XFS_TRANS_RELEASE_LOG_RES;
@@ -191,7 +185,7 @@ xfs_rename(
 	}
 	if (error) {
 		xfs_trans_cancel(tp, 0);
-		goto rele_return;
+		goto std_return;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -199,7 +193,7 @@ xfs_rename(
 	 */
 	if ((error = XFS_QM_DQVOPRENAME(mp, inodes))) {
 		xfs_trans_cancel(tp, cancel_flags);
-		goto rele_return;
+		goto std_return;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -220,7 +214,7 @@ xfs_rename(
 		error = XFS_ERROR(EXDEV);
 		xfs_rename_unlock4(inodes, XFS_ILOCK_SHARED);
 		xfs_trans_cancel(tp, cancel_flags);
-		goto rele_return;
+		goto std_return;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -233,17 +227,17 @@ xfs_rename(
 	 */
 	IHOLD(src_dp);
 	xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, src_dp, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
+
 	if (new_parent) {
 		IHOLD(target_dp);
 		xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, target_dp, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
 	}
-	if ((src_ip != src_dp) && (src_ip != target_dp)) {
-		xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, src_ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
-	}
-	if ((target_ip != NULL) &&
-	    (target_ip != src_ip) &&
-	    (target_ip != src_dp) &&
-	    (target_ip != target_dp)) {
+
+	IHOLD(src_ip);
+	xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, src_ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
+
+	if (target_ip) {
+		IHOLD(target_ip);
 		xfs_trans_ijoin(tp, target_ip, XFS_ILOCK_EXCL);
 	}
 
@@ -317,7 +311,6 @@ xfs_rename(
 		error = xfs_droplink(tp, target_ip);
 		if (error)
 			goto abort_return;
-		target_ip_dropped = 1;
 
 		if (src_is_directory) {
 			/*
@@ -327,10 +320,6 @@ xfs_rename(
 			if (error)
 				goto abort_return;
 		}
-
-		/* Do this test while we still hold the locks */
-		target_link_zero = (target_ip)->i_d.di_nlink==0;
-
 	} /* target_ip != NULL */
 
 	/*
@@ -396,15 +385,6 @@ xfs_rename(
 		xfs_trans_log_inode(tp, target_dp, XFS_ILOG_CORE);
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * If there was a target inode, take an extra reference on
-	 * it here so that it doesn't go to xfs_inactive() from
-	 * within the commit.
-	 */
-	if (target_ip != NULL) {
-		IHOLD(target_ip);
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * If this is a synchronous mount, make sure that the
 	 * rename transaction goes to disk before returning to
@@ -414,30 +394,11 @@ xfs_rename(
 		xfs_trans_set_sync(tp);
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Take refs. for vop_link_removed calls below.  No need to worry
-	 * about directory refs. because the caller holds them.
-	 *
-	 * Do holds before the xfs_bmap_finish since it might rele them down
-	 * to zero.
-	 */
-
-	if (target_ip_dropped)
-		IHOLD(target_ip);
-	IHOLD(src_ip);
-
 	error = xfs_bmap_finish(&tp, &free_list, &committed);
 	if (error) {
 		xfs_bmap_cancel(&free_list);
 		xfs_trans_cancel(tp, (XFS_TRANS_RELEASE_LOG_RES |
 				 XFS_TRANS_ABORT));
-		if (target_ip != NULL) {
-			IRELE(target_ip);
-		}
-		if (target_ip_dropped) {
-			IRELE(target_ip);
-		}
-		IRELE(src_ip);
 		goto std_return;
 	}
 
@@ -446,15 +407,6 @@ xfs_rename(
 	 * the vnode references.
 	 */
 	error = xfs_trans_commit(tp, XFS_TRANS_RELEASE_LOG_RES);
-	if (target_ip != NULL)
-		IRELE(target_ip);
-	/*
-	 * Let interposed file systems know about removed links.
-	 */
-	if (target_ip_dropped)
-		IRELE(target_ip);
-
-	IRELE(src_ip);
 
 	/* Fall through to std_return with error = 0 or errno from
 	 * xfs_trans_commit	 */
@@ -476,11 +428,4 @@ std_return:
 	xfs_bmap_cancel(&free_list);
 	xfs_trans_cancel(tp, cancel_flags);
 	goto std_return;
-
- rele_return:
-	IRELE(src_ip);
-	if (target_ip != NULL) {
-		IRELE(target_ip);
-	}
-	goto std_return;
 }