diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/dlm/dlmmaster.c b/fs/ocfs2/dlm/dlmmaster.c
index 8b9d483e94a68354467cd6149d95777883d319fa..9477d6e1de372427c36849b6eb3dc5a041089f64 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/dlm/dlmmaster.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/dlm/dlmmaster.c
@@ -2549,7 +2549,7 @@ static int dlm_migrate_lockres(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
 	}
 
 fail:
-	if (oldmle) {
+	if (ret != -EEXIST && oldmle) {
 		/* master is known, detach if not already detached */
 		dlm_mle_detach_hb_events(dlm, oldmle);
 		dlm_put_mle(oldmle);
@@ -3136,7 +3136,8 @@ static int dlm_add_migration_mle(struct dlm_ctxt *dlm,
 				mlog(0, "tried to migrate %.*s, but some "
 				     "process beat me to it\n",
 				     namelen, name);
-				ret = -EEXIST;
+				spin_unlock(&tmp->spinlock);
+				return -EEXIST;
 			} else {
 				/* bad.  2 NODES are trying to migrate! */
 				mlog(ML_ERROR, "migration error  mle: "