diff --git a/fs/gfs2/inode.c b/fs/gfs2/inode.c
index 94c3a7db1116..5a02606b68c0 100644
--- a/fs/gfs2/inode.c
+++ b/fs/gfs2/inode.c
@@ -248,6 +248,32 @@ fail_iput:
 	goto fail;
 }
 
+/**
+ * gfs2_set_nlink - Set the inode's link count based on on-disk info
+ * @inode: The inode in question
+ * @nlink: The link count
+ *
+ * If the link count has hit zero, it must never be raised, whatever the
+ * on-disk inode might say. When new struct inodes are created the link
+ * count is set to 1, so that we can safely use this test even when reading
+ * in on disk information for the first time.
+ */
+
+static void gfs2_set_nlink(struct inode *inode, u32 nlink)
+{
+	/*
+	 * We will need to review setting the nlink count here in the
+	 * light of the forthcoming ro bind mount work. This is a reminder
+	 * to do that.
+	 */
+	if ((inode->i_nlink != nlink) && (inode->i_nlink != 0)) {
+		if (nlink == 0)
+			clear_nlink(inode);
+		else
+			inode->i_nlink = nlink;
+	}
+}
+
 static int gfs2_dinode_in(struct gfs2_inode *ip, const void *buf)
 {
 	const struct gfs2_dinode *str = buf;
@@ -269,12 +295,7 @@ static int gfs2_dinode_in(struct gfs2_inode *ip, const void *buf)
 
 	ip->i_inode.i_uid = be32_to_cpu(str->di_uid);
 	ip->i_inode.i_gid = be32_to_cpu(str->di_gid);
-	/*
-	 * We will need to review setting the nlink count here in the
-	 * light of the forthcoming ro bind mount work. This is a reminder
-	 * to do that.
-	 */
-	ip->i_inode.i_nlink = be32_to_cpu(str->di_nlink);
+	gfs2_set_nlink(&ip->i_inode, be32_to_cpu(str->di_nlink));
 	i_size_write(&ip->i_inode, be64_to_cpu(str->di_size));
 	gfs2_set_inode_blocks(&ip->i_inode, be64_to_cpu(str->di_blocks));
 	atime.tv_sec = be64_to_cpu(str->di_atime);
@@ -484,7 +505,7 @@ static int create_ok(struct gfs2_inode *dip, const struct qstr *name,
 
 	/*  Don't create entries in an unlinked directory  */
 	if (!dip->i_inode.i_nlink)
-		return -EPERM;
+		return -ENOENT;
 
 	error = gfs2_dir_check(&dip->i_inode, name, NULL);
 	switch (error) {
diff --git a/fs/gfs2/ops_inode.c b/fs/gfs2/ops_inode.c
index 09e436a50723..1005f9eb456e 100644
--- a/fs/gfs2/ops_inode.c
+++ b/fs/gfs2/ops_inode.c
@@ -162,6 +162,10 @@ static int gfs2_link(struct dentry *old_dentry, struct inode *dir,
 	if (error)
 		goto out_child;
 
+	error = -ENOENT;
+	if (inode->i_nlink == 0)
+		goto out_gunlock;
+
 	error = gfs2_permission(dir, MAY_WRITE | MAY_EXEC, 0);
 	if (error)
 		goto out_gunlock;
@@ -335,6 +339,10 @@ static int gfs2_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	if (error)
 		goto out_child;
 
+	error = -ENOENT;
+	if (ip->i_inode.i_nlink == 0)
+		goto out_rgrp;
+
 	error = gfs2_glock_nq(ghs + 2); /* rgrp */
 	if (error)
 		goto out_rgrp;
@@ -589,6 +597,10 @@ static int gfs2_rmdir(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	if (error)
 		goto out_child;
 
+	error = -ENOENT;
+	if (ip->i_inode.i_nlink == 0)
+		goto out_rgrp;
+
 	error = gfs2_glock_nq(ghs + 2); /* rgrp */
 	if (error)
 		goto out_rgrp;
@@ -792,6 +804,10 @@ static int gfs2_rename(struct inode *odir, struct dentry *odentry,
 			goto out_gunlock;
 	}
 
+	error = -ENOENT;
+	if (ip->i_inode.i_nlink == 0)
+		goto out_gunlock;
+
 	/* Check out the old directory */
 
 	error = gfs2_unlink_ok(odip, &odentry->d_name, ip);
@@ -805,6 +821,11 @@ static int gfs2_rename(struct inode *odir, struct dentry *odentry,
 		if (error)
 			goto out_gunlock;
 
+		if (nip->i_inode.i_nlink == 0) {
+			error = -EAGAIN;
+			goto out_gunlock;
+		}
+
 		if (S_ISDIR(nip->i_inode.i_mode)) {
 			if (nip->i_entries < 2) {
 				if (gfs2_consist_inode(nip))
@@ -835,7 +856,7 @@ static int gfs2_rename(struct inode *odir, struct dentry *odentry,
 
 		if (odip != ndip) {
 			if (!ndip->i_inode.i_nlink) {
-				error = -EINVAL;
+				error = -ENOENT;
 				goto out_gunlock;
 			}
 			if (ndip->i_entries == (u32)-1) {