diff --git a/fs/dcache.c b/fs/dcache.c
index 361882a14ccb..a39fe47c466f 100644
--- a/fs/dcache.c
+++ b/fs/dcache.c
@@ -296,8 +296,12 @@ static struct dentry *d_kill(struct dentry *dentry, struct dentry *parent)
 	__releases(parent->d_lock)
 	__releases(dentry->d_inode->i_lock)
 {
-	dentry->d_parent = NULL;
 	list_del(&dentry->d_u.d_child);
+	/*
+	 * Inform try_to_ascend() that we are no longer attached to the
+	 * dentry tree
+	 */
+	dentry->d_flags |= DCACHE_DISCONNECTED;
 	if (parent)
 		spin_unlock(&parent->d_lock);
 	dentry_iput(dentry);
@@ -1030,6 +1034,7 @@ static struct dentry *try_to_ascend(struct dentry *old, int locked, unsigned seq
 	 * or deletion
 	 */
 	if (new != old->d_parent ||
+		 (old->d_flags & DCACHE_DISCONNECTED) ||
 		 (!locked && read_seqretry(&rename_lock, seq))) {
 		spin_unlock(&new->d_lock);
 		new = NULL;