diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/inode.c b/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
index 541cf3717fc2..ca56b1328a2c 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
@@ -288,8 +288,8 @@ int ovl_permission(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 	int err;
 
 	/* Careful in RCU walk mode */
-	ovl_i_path_real(inode, &realpath);
-	if (!realpath.dentry) {
+	realinode = ovl_i_path_real(inode, &realpath);
+	if (!realinode) {
 		WARN_ON(!(mask & MAY_NOT_BLOCK));
 		return -ECHILD;
 	}
@@ -302,7 +302,6 @@ int ovl_permission(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
-	realinode = d_inode(realpath.dentry);
 	old_cred = ovl_override_creds(inode->i_sb);
 	if (!upperinode &&
 	    !special_file(realinode->i_mode) && mask & MAY_WRITE) {