diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/dlm/dlmmaster.c b/fs/ocfs2/dlm/dlmmaster.c
index e3cfa0227026c64df16edc3705d9e607a16f6509..12ba682fc53c303964ee4eb2c0035c88765573d0 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/dlm/dlmmaster.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/dlm/dlmmaster.c
@@ -2039,6 +2039,10 @@ int dlm_assert_master_handler(struct o2net_msg *msg, u32 len, void *data,
 	     "and killing the other node now!  This node is OK and can continue.\n");
 	__dlm_print_one_lock_resource(res);
 	spin_unlock(&res->spinlock);
+	spin_lock(&dlm->master_lock);
+	if (mle)
+		__dlm_put_mle(mle);
+	spin_unlock(&dlm->master_lock);
 	spin_unlock(&dlm->spinlock);
 	*ret_data = (void *)res;
 	dlm_put(dlm);