diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
index b2c78621da44..4388004a319d 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
@@ -619,7 +619,6 @@ static int ovl_link_up(struct ovl_copy_up_ctx *c)
 	err = PTR_ERR(upper);
 	if (!IS_ERR(upper)) {
 		err = ovl_do_link(ofs, ovl_dentry_upper(c->dentry), udir, upper);
-		dput(upper);
 
 		if (!err) {
 			/* Restore timestamps on parent (best effort) */
@@ -627,6 +626,7 @@ static int ovl_link_up(struct ovl_copy_up_ctx *c)
 			ovl_dentry_set_upper_alias(c->dentry);
 			ovl_dentry_update_reval(c->dentry, upper);
 		}
+		dput(upper);
 	}
 	inode_unlock(udir);
 	if (err)