diff --git a/fs/kernfs/dir.c b/fs/kernfs/dir.c
index 4ca0b5c1819244970d0b6d20bbc0144d5f3d40be..853a69e493f5b994f720b1d043d1c49b9339ec43 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/dir.c
@@ -650,11 +650,10 @@ static struct kernfs_node *__kernfs_new_node(struct kernfs_root *root,
 	kn->id.generation = gen;
 
 	/*
-	 * set ino first. This barrier is paired with atomic_inc_not_zero in
+	 * set ino first. This RELEASE is paired with atomic_inc_not_zero in
 	 * kernfs_find_and_get_node_by_ino
 	 */
-	smp_mb__before_atomic();
-	atomic_set(&kn->count, 1);
+	atomic_set_release(&kn->count, 1);
 	atomic_set(&kn->active, KN_DEACTIVATED_BIAS);
 	RB_CLEAR_NODE(&kn->rb);