diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/super.c b/fs/overlayfs/super.c
index eee7a62e1c0e..f16d318b71f8 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/super.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/super.c
@@ -84,12 +84,7 @@ enum ovl_path_type ovl_path_type(struct dentry *dentry)
 
 static struct dentry *ovl_upperdentry_dereference(struct ovl_entry *oe)
 {
-	struct dentry *upperdentry = ACCESS_ONCE(oe->__upperdentry);
-	/*
-	 * Make sure to order reads to upperdentry wrt ovl_dentry_update()
-	 */
-	smp_read_barrier_depends();
-	return upperdentry;
+	return lockless_dereference(oe->__upperdentry);
 }
 
 void ovl_path_upper(struct dentry *dentry, struct path *path)