diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index 79f06be7f5d44926f85cdf01f62620a49cfc846d..8a673f44ffc2e6fe45328156cc78a68d66b0c43b 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -1835,29 +1835,33 @@ enum {WALK_FOLLOW = 1, WALK_MORE = 2, WALK_NOFOLLOW = 4};
  * so we keep a cache of "no, this doesn't need follow_link"
  * for the common case.
  */
-static inline int step_into(struct nameidata *nd, struct path *path,
-			    int flags, struct inode *inode, unsigned seq)
+static int step_into(struct nameidata *nd, int flags,
+		     struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode, unsigned seq)
 {
-	if (likely(!d_is_symlink(path->dentry)) ||
+	struct path path;
+	int err = handle_mounts(nd, dentry, &path, &inode, &seq);
+
+	if (err < 0)
+		return err;
+	if (likely(!d_is_symlink(path.dentry)) ||
 	   !((flags & WALK_FOLLOW) || (nd->flags & LOOKUP_FOLLOW)) ||
 	   (flags & WALK_NOFOLLOW)) {
 		/* not a symlink or should not follow */
-		path_to_nameidata(path, nd);
+		path_to_nameidata(&path, nd);
 		nd->inode = inode;
 		nd->seq = seq;
 		return 0;
 	}
 	/* make sure that d_is_symlink above matches inode */
 	if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
-		if (read_seqcount_retry(&path->dentry->d_seq, seq))
+		if (read_seqcount_retry(&path.dentry->d_seq, seq))
 			return -ECHILD;
 	}
-	return pick_link(nd, path, inode, seq);
+	return pick_link(nd, &path, inode, seq);
 }
 
 static int walk_component(struct nameidata *nd, int flags)
 {
-	struct path path;
 	struct dentry *dentry;
 	struct inode *inode;
 	unsigned seq;
@@ -1883,11 +1887,7 @@ static int walk_component(struct nameidata *nd, int flags)
 	}
 	if (!(flags & WALK_MORE) && nd->depth)
 		put_link(nd);
-
-	err = handle_mounts(nd, dentry, &path, &inode, &seq);
-	if (unlikely(err < 0))
-			return err;
-	return step_into(nd, &path, flags, inode, seq);
+	return step_into(nd, flags, dentry, inode, seq);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -2354,17 +2354,10 @@ static inline int lookup_last(struct nameidata *nd)
 
 static int handle_lookup_down(struct nameidata *nd)
 {
-	struct path path;
-	struct inode *inode = nd->inode;
-	unsigned seq = nd->seq;
-	int err;
-
 	if (!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU))
 		dget(nd->path.dentry);
-	err = handle_mounts(nd, nd->path.dentry, &path, &inode, &seq);
-	if (unlikely(err < 0))
-		return err;
-	return step_into(nd, &path, WALK_NOFOLLOW, inode, seq);
+	return step_into(nd, WALK_NOFOLLOW,
+			nd->path.dentry, nd->inode, nd->seq);
 }
 
 /* Returns 0 and nd will be valid on success; Retuns error, otherwise. */
@@ -3281,7 +3274,6 @@ static int do_last(struct nameidata *nd,
 	int acc_mode = op->acc_mode;
 	unsigned seq;
 	struct inode *inode;
-	struct path path;
 	struct dentry *dentry;
 	int error;
 
@@ -3384,10 +3376,7 @@ static int do_last(struct nameidata *nd,
 finish_lookup:
 	if (nd->depth)
 		put_link(nd);
-	error = handle_mounts(nd, dentry, &path, &inode, &seq);
-	if (unlikely(error < 0))
-		return error;
-	error = step_into(nd, &path, 0, inode, seq);
+	error = step_into(nd, 0, dentry, inode, seq);
 	if (unlikely(error))
 		return error;