diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
index a07441a0a878..65efe5fa687c 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
@@ -143,6 +143,31 @@ static int ecryptfs_interpose(struct dentry *lower_dentry,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int ecryptfs_do_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
+			      struct inode *inode)
+{
+	struct dentry *lower_dentry = ecryptfs_dentry_to_lower(dentry);
+	struct inode *lower_dir_inode = ecryptfs_inode_to_lower(dir);
+	struct dentry *lower_dir_dentry;
+	int rc;
+
+	dget(lower_dentry);
+	lower_dir_dentry = lock_parent(lower_dentry);
+	rc = vfs_unlink(lower_dir_inode, lower_dentry);
+	if (rc) {
+		printk(KERN_ERR "Error in vfs_unlink; rc = [%d]\n", rc);
+		goto out_unlock;
+	}
+	fsstack_copy_attr_times(dir, lower_dir_inode);
+	set_nlink(inode, ecryptfs_inode_to_lower(inode)->i_nlink);
+	inode->i_ctime = dir->i_ctime;
+	d_drop(dentry);
+out_unlock:
+	unlock_dir(lower_dir_dentry);
+	dput(lower_dentry);
+	return rc;
+}
+
 /**
  * ecryptfs_do_create
  * @directory_inode: inode of the new file's dentry's parent in ecryptfs
@@ -182,8 +207,10 @@ ecryptfs_do_create(struct inode *directory_inode,
 	}
 	inode = __ecryptfs_get_inode(lower_dentry->d_inode,
 				     directory_inode->i_sb);
-	if (IS_ERR(inode))
+	if (IS_ERR(inode)) {
+		vfs_unlink(lower_dir_dentry->d_inode, lower_dentry);
 		goto out_lock;
+	}
 	fsstack_copy_attr_times(directory_inode, lower_dir_dentry->d_inode);
 	fsstack_copy_inode_size(directory_inode, lower_dir_dentry->d_inode);
 out_lock:
@@ -265,7 +292,9 @@ ecryptfs_create(struct inode *directory_inode, struct dentry *ecryptfs_dentry,
 	 * that this on disk file is prepared to be an ecryptfs file */
 	rc = ecryptfs_initialize_file(ecryptfs_dentry, ecryptfs_inode);
 	if (rc) {
-		drop_nlink(ecryptfs_inode);
+		ecryptfs_do_unlink(directory_inode, ecryptfs_dentry,
+				   ecryptfs_inode);
+		make_bad_inode(ecryptfs_inode);
 		unlock_new_inode(ecryptfs_inode);
 		iput(ecryptfs_inode);
 		goto out;
@@ -477,27 +506,7 @@ out_lock:
 
 static int ecryptfs_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	int rc = 0;
-	struct dentry *lower_dentry = ecryptfs_dentry_to_lower(dentry);
-	struct inode *lower_dir_inode = ecryptfs_inode_to_lower(dir);
-	struct dentry *lower_dir_dentry;
-
-	dget(lower_dentry);
-	lower_dir_dentry = lock_parent(lower_dentry);
-	rc = vfs_unlink(lower_dir_inode, lower_dentry);
-	if (rc) {
-		printk(KERN_ERR "Error in vfs_unlink; rc = [%d]\n", rc);
-		goto out_unlock;
-	}
-	fsstack_copy_attr_times(dir, lower_dir_inode);
-	set_nlink(dentry->d_inode,
-		  ecryptfs_inode_to_lower(dentry->d_inode)->i_nlink);
-	dentry->d_inode->i_ctime = dir->i_ctime;
-	d_drop(dentry);
-out_unlock:
-	unlock_dir(lower_dir_dentry);
-	dput(lower_dentry);
-	return rc;
+	return ecryptfs_do_unlink(dir, dentry, dentry->d_inode);
 }
 
 static int ecryptfs_symlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,