--- x/fs/namei.c
+++ y/fs/namei.c
@@ -5529,11 +5529,12 @@ int filename_unlinkat(int dfd, struct fi
 	struct dentry *dentry;
 	struct path path;
 	struct qstr last;
-	int type;
+	int type, loop;
 	struct inode *inode;
 	struct delegated_inode delegated_inode = { };
 	unsigned int lookup_flags = 0;
 retry:
+	loop = 0;
 	error = filename_parentat(dfd, name, lookup_flags, &path, &last, &type);
 	if (error)
 		return error;
@@ -5545,7 +5546,6 @@ retry:
 	error = mnt_want_write(path.mnt);
 	if (error)
 		goto exit_path_put;
-retry_deleg:
 	dentry = start_dirop(path.dentry, &last, lookup_flags);
 	error = PTR_ERR(dentry);
 	if (IS_ERR(dentry))
@@ -5561,7 +5561,6 @@ retry_deleg:
 		goto exit_drop_write;
 	}
 	inode = dentry->d_inode;
-	ihold(inode);
 	error = security_path_unlink(&path, dentry);
 	if (error)
 		goto exit_end_dirop;
@@ -5569,16 +5568,17 @@ retry_deleg:
 			   dentry, &delegated_inode);
 exit_end_dirop:
 	end_dirop(dentry);
-	iput(inode);	/* truncate the inode here */
 	if (is_delegated(&delegated_inode)) {
 		error = break_deleg_wait(&delegated_inode);
 		if (!error)
-			goto retry_deleg;
+			loop = 1;
 	}
 exit_drop_write:
 	mnt_drop_write(path.mnt);
 exit_path_put:
 	path_put(&path);
+	if (loop)
+		goto retry;
 	if (retry_estale(error, lookup_flags)) {
 		lookup_flags |= LOOKUP_REVAL;
 		goto retry;