diff --git a/fs/afs/cell.c b/fs/afs/cell.c
index 69b95faacc5e1fbf9865a95420c799be6b5ab987..721425b98b31e8350b91d4b1d81d658bb6b57a45 100644
--- a/fs/afs/cell.c
+++ b/fs/afs/cell.c
@@ -334,8 +334,8 @@ int afs_cell_init(struct afs_net *net, const char *rootcell)
 		return PTR_ERR(new_root);
 	}
 
-	set_bit(AFS_CELL_FL_NO_GC, &new_root->flags);
-	afs_get_cell(new_root);
+	if (!test_and_set_bit(AFS_CELL_FL_NO_GC, &new_root->flags))
+		afs_get_cell(new_root);
 
 	/* install the new cell */
 	write_seqlock(&net->cells_lock);
diff --git a/fs/afs/proc.c b/fs/afs/proc.c
index 1c95756335b76adc285e46944f153e750ae693bf..2f04d37eeef04884918abb95e1d5be4e9f8145b3 100644
--- a/fs/afs/proc.c
+++ b/fs/afs/proc.c
@@ -284,7 +284,8 @@ static ssize_t afs_proc_cells_write(struct file *file, const char __user *buf,
 			goto done;
 		}
 
-		set_bit(AFS_CELL_FL_NO_GC, &cell->flags);
+		if (test_and_set_bit(AFS_CELL_FL_NO_GC, &cell->flags))
+			afs_put_cell(net, cell);
 		printk("kAFS: Added new cell '%s'\n", name);
 	} else {
 		goto inval;