diff --git a/fs/ext4/namei.c b/fs/ext4/namei.c
index 97cf1c8b56b2b8b5479a97c018cd2f46f0c85f61..a67cae3c8ff54624d02b92699b0915f849050c82 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/namei.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/namei.c
@@ -2547,21 +2547,29 @@ static void ext4_dec_count(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode)
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * Add non-directory inode to a directory. On success, the inode reference is
+ * consumed by dentry is instantiation. This is also indicated by clearing of
+ * *inodep pointer. On failure, the caller is responsible for dropping the
+ * inode reference in the safe context.
+ */
 static int ext4_add_nondir(handle_t *handle,
-		struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode)
+		struct dentry *dentry, struct inode **inodep)
 {
 	struct inode *dir = d_inode(dentry->d_parent);
+	struct inode *inode = *inodep;
 	int err = ext4_add_entry(handle, dentry, inode);
 	if (!err) {
 		ext4_mark_inode_dirty(handle, inode);
 		if (IS_DIRSYNC(dir))
 			ext4_handle_sync(handle);
 		d_instantiate_new(dentry, inode);
+		*inodep = NULL;
 		return 0;
 	}
 	drop_nlink(inode);
+	ext4_orphan_add(handle, inode);
 	unlock_new_inode(inode);
-	iput(inode);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -2595,10 +2603,12 @@ retry:
 		inode->i_op = &ext4_file_inode_operations;
 		inode->i_fop = &ext4_file_operations;
 		ext4_set_aops(inode);
-		err = ext4_add_nondir(handle, dentry, inode);
+		err = ext4_add_nondir(handle, dentry, &inode);
 	}
 	if (handle)
 		ext4_journal_stop(handle);
+	if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(inode))
+		iput(inode);
 	if (err == -ENOSPC && ext4_should_retry_alloc(dir->i_sb, &retries))
 		goto retry;
 	return err;
@@ -2625,10 +2635,12 @@ retry:
 	if (!IS_ERR(inode)) {
 		init_special_inode(inode, inode->i_mode, rdev);
 		inode->i_op = &ext4_special_inode_operations;
-		err = ext4_add_nondir(handle, dentry, inode);
+		err = ext4_add_nondir(handle, dentry, &inode);
 	}
 	if (handle)
 		ext4_journal_stop(handle);
+	if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(inode))
+		iput(inode);
 	if (err == -ENOSPC && ext4_should_retry_alloc(dir->i_sb, &retries))
 		goto retry;
 	return err;
@@ -2778,10 +2790,12 @@ retry:
 	if (err) {
 out_clear_inode:
 		clear_nlink(inode);
+		ext4_orphan_add(handle, inode);
 		unlock_new_inode(inode);
 		ext4_mark_inode_dirty(handle, inode);
+		ext4_journal_stop(handle);
 		iput(inode);
-		goto out_stop;
+		goto out_retry;
 	}
 	ext4_inc_count(handle, dir);
 	ext4_update_dx_flag(dir);
@@ -2795,6 +2809,7 @@ out_clear_inode:
 out_stop:
 	if (handle)
 		ext4_journal_stop(handle);
+out_retry:
 	if (err == -ENOSPC && ext4_should_retry_alloc(dir->i_sb, &retries))
 		goto retry;
 	return err;
@@ -3327,9 +3342,11 @@ static int ext4_symlink(struct inode *dir,
 		inode->i_size = disk_link.len - 1;
 	}
 	EXT4_I(inode)->i_disksize = inode->i_size;
-	err = ext4_add_nondir(handle, dentry, inode);
+	err = ext4_add_nondir(handle, dentry, &inode);
 	if (handle)
 		ext4_journal_stop(handle);
+	if (inode)
+		iput(inode);
 	goto out_free_encrypted_link;
 
 err_drop_inode: