diff --git a/fs/file.c b/fs/file.c
index fb3d2038dc215b9a8bb227a20ae3d4e4766213b7..17e6a55521e2017dcc37984e60ad3c44487426d2 100644
--- a/fs/file.c
+++ b/fs/file.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ static void free_fdtable_work(struct work_struct *work)
 	}
 }
 
-static void free_fdtable_rcu(struct rcu_head *rcu)
+void free_fdtable_rcu(struct rcu_head *rcu)
 {
 	struct fdtable *fdt = container_of(rcu, struct fdtable, rcu);
 	int fdset_size, fdarray_size;
@@ -101,20 +101,15 @@ static void free_fdtable_rcu(struct rcu_head *rcu)
 	fdset_size = fdt->max_fds / 8;
 	fdarray_size = fdt->max_fds * sizeof(struct file *);
 
-	if (fdt->free_files) {
+	if (fdt->max_fds <= NR_OPEN_DEFAULT) {
 		/*
-		 * The this fdtable was embedded in the files structure
-		 * and the files structure itself was getting destroyed.
-		 * It is now safe to free the files structure.
+		 * This fdtable is embedded in the files structure and that
+		 * structure itself is getting destroyed.
 		 */
-		kmem_cache_free(files_cachep, fdt->free_files);
+		kmem_cache_free(files_cachep,
+				container_of(fdt, struct files_struct, fdtab));
 		return;
 	}
-	if (fdt->max_fds <= NR_OPEN_DEFAULT)
-		/*
-		 * The fdtable was embedded
-		 */
-		return;
 	if (fdset_size <= PAGE_SIZE && fdarray_size <= PAGE_SIZE) {
 		kfree(fdt->open_fds);
 		kfree(fdt->close_on_exec);
@@ -132,12 +127,6 @@ static void free_fdtable_rcu(struct rcu_head *rcu)
 	}
 }
 
-void free_fdtable(struct fdtable *fdt)
-{
-	if (fdt->free_files || fdt->max_fds > NR_OPEN_DEFAULT)
-		call_rcu(&fdt->rcu, free_fdtable_rcu);
-}
-
 /*
  * Expand the fdset in the files_struct.  Called with the files spinlock
  * held for write.
@@ -247,7 +236,6 @@ static struct fdtable *alloc_fdtable(int nr)
 		goto out;
 	fdt->fd = new_fds;
 	fdt->max_fds = nfds;
-	fdt->free_files = NULL;
 	return fdt;
 out:
 	free_fdset(new_openset, nfds);
@@ -283,7 +271,8 @@ static int expand_fdtable(struct files_struct *files, int nr)
 		/* Continue as planned */
 		copy_fdtable(new_fdt, cur_fdt);
 		rcu_assign_pointer(files->fdt, new_fdt);
-		free_fdtable(cur_fdt);
+		if (cur_fdt->max_fds > NR_OPEN_DEFAULT)
+			call_rcu(&cur_fdt->rcu, free_fdtable_rcu);
 	} else {
 		/* Somebody else expanded, so undo our attempt */
 		__free_fdtable(new_fdt);
diff --git a/include/linux/file.h b/include/linux/file.h
index 02be4012225b2d7dfe4e7cff18c42248347ab39c..319118f275b0dd8fcce3e8b1c2a11f71686911e5 100644
--- a/include/linux/file.h
+++ b/include/linux/file.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ struct fdtable {
 	fd_set *close_on_exec;
 	fd_set *open_fds;
 	struct rcu_head rcu;
-	struct files_struct *free_files;
 	struct fdtable *next;
 };
 
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ extern fd_set *alloc_fdset(int);
 extern void free_fdset(fd_set *, int);
 
 extern int expand_files(struct files_struct *, int nr);
-extern void free_fdtable(struct fdtable *fdt);
+extern void free_fdtable_rcu(struct rcu_head *rcu);
 extern void __init files_defer_init(void);
 
 static inline struct file * fcheck_files(struct files_struct *files, unsigned int fd)
diff --git a/include/linux/init_task.h b/include/linux/init_task.h
index 58c18daab65ddca4af1f2765a1c67b01c9bcf514..b5315150199e9528bbfa1b5fcfe64b669b199058 100644
--- a/include/linux/init_task.h
+++ b/include/linux/init_task.h
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 	.close_on_exec	= (fd_set *)&init_files.close_on_exec_init, \
 	.open_fds	= (fd_set *)&init_files.open_fds_init, 	\
 	.rcu		= RCU_HEAD_INIT, 		\
-	.free_files	= NULL,		 		\
 	.next		= NULL,		 		\
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/exit.c b/kernel/exit.c
index 5f77e76b4f97666c53e4a78d6213288bf88105a7..122fadb972fc2dd9ff3fda5cf15c3c0432a50007 100644
--- a/kernel/exit.c
+++ b/kernel/exit.c
@@ -466,11 +466,9 @@ void fastcall put_files_struct(struct files_struct *files)
 		 * you can free files immediately.
 		 */
 		fdt = files_fdtable(files);
-		if (fdt == &files->fdtab)
-			fdt->free_files = files;
-		else
+		if (fdt != &files->fdtab)
 			kmem_cache_free(files_cachep, files);
-		free_fdtable(fdt);
+		call_rcu(&fdt->rcu, free_fdtable_rcu);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
index aba595424f78e029c1d064d3989535a97b7a3078..d16c566eb645a6b7aae1bd7dd5a5489eeb3d3db9 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -645,7 +645,6 @@ static struct files_struct *alloc_files(void)
 	fdt->open_fds = (fd_set *)&newf->open_fds_init;
 	fdt->fd = &newf->fd_array[0];
 	INIT_RCU_HEAD(&fdt->rcu);
-	fdt->free_files = NULL;
 	fdt->next = NULL;
 	rcu_assign_pointer(newf->fdt, fdt);
 out: