diff --git a/fs/kernfs/dir.c b/fs/kernfs/dir.c
index afb39e1bbe3b..8b3c86a502da 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/dir.c
@@ -1519,8 +1519,11 @@ int kernfs_remove_by_name_ns(struct kernfs_node *parent, const char *name,
 	mutex_lock(&kernfs_mutex);
 
 	kn = kernfs_find_ns(parent, name, ns);
-	if (kn)
+	if (kn) {
+		kernfs_get(kn);
 		__kernfs_remove(kn);
+		kernfs_put(kn);
+	}
 
 	mutex_unlock(&kernfs_mutex);