diff --git a/fs/ceph/inode.c b/fs/ceph/inode.c
index 8f9b9fe8ef9f4a84056c16289650d482a8c0c8ff..3582e79f46e0f8276c11186d034117dcc8116ae1 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/inode.c
@@ -1199,8 +1199,10 @@ int ceph_readdir_prepopulate(struct ceph_mds_request *req,
 				goto out;
 			}
 			err = ceph_init_dentry(dn);
-			if (err < 0)
+			if (err < 0) {
+				dput(dn);
 				goto out;
+			}
 		} else if (dn->d_inode &&
 			   (ceph_ino(dn->d_inode) != vino.ino ||
 			    ceph_snap(dn->d_inode) != vino.snap)) {