diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index 2dd333b0fe7f..6645846f2056 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -2246,10 +2246,14 @@ void __init mnt_init(void)
 	init_mount_tree();
 }
 
-void __put_mnt_ns(struct mnt_namespace *ns)
+void put_mnt_ns(struct mnt_namespace *ns)
 {
-	struct vfsmount *root = ns->root;
+	struct vfsmount *root;
 	LIST_HEAD(umount_list);
+
+	if (!atomic_dec_and_lock(&ns->count, &vfsmount_lock))
+		return;
+	root = ns->root;
 	ns->root = NULL;
 	spin_unlock(&vfsmount_lock);
 	down_write(&namespace_sem);
diff --git a/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h b/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h
index 3a059298cc19..299d11af5f79 100644
--- a/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h
+++ b/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h
@@ -26,14 +26,7 @@ struct fs_struct;
 
 extern struct mnt_namespace *copy_mnt_ns(unsigned long, struct mnt_namespace *,
 		struct fs_struct *);
-extern void __put_mnt_ns(struct mnt_namespace *ns);
-
-static inline void put_mnt_ns(struct mnt_namespace *ns)
-{
-	if (atomic_dec_and_lock(&ns->count, &vfsmount_lock))
-		/* releases vfsmount_lock */
-		__put_mnt_ns(ns);
-}
+extern void put_mnt_ns(struct mnt_namespace *ns);
 
 static inline void exit_mnt_ns(struct task_struct *p)
 {