diff --git a/fs/f2fs/inode.c b/fs/f2fs/inode.c
index 8c4eafe9ffac..a628782dab8d 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/inode.c
@@ -294,6 +294,17 @@ static bool sanity_check_inode(struct inode *inode, struct folio *node_folio)
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	if (unlikely(inode->i_nlink == 0)) {
+		f2fs_warn(F2FS_I_SB(inode), "%s: inode (ino=%lx) has zero i_nlink",
+			  __func__, inode->i_ino);
+		return false;
+	} else if (S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode) && inode->i_nlink == 1) {
+		f2fs_warn(F2FS_I_SB(inode), "%s: directory inode (ino=%lx) has a single i_nlink",
+			  __func__, inode->i_ino);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+
 	if (f2fs_has_extra_attr(inode)) {
 		if (!f2fs_sb_has_extra_attr(sbi)) {
 			f2fs_warn(sbi, "%s: inode (ino=%lx) is with extra_attr, but extra_attr feature is off",
diff --git a/fs/f2fs/namei.c b/fs/f2fs/namei.c
index b882771e4699..d13077bad482 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/namei.c
@@ -552,30 +552,31 @@ static int f2fs_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 
 	if (unlikely(f2fs_cp_error(sbi))) {
 		err = -EIO;
-		goto fail;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	err = f2fs_dquot_initialize(dir);
 	if (err)
-		goto fail;
+		goto out;
 	err = f2fs_dquot_initialize(inode);
 	if (err)
-		goto fail;
+		goto out;
 
 	de = f2fs_find_entry(dir, &dentry->d_name, &folio);
 	if (!de) {
 		if (IS_ERR(folio))
 			err = PTR_ERR(folio);
-		goto fail;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (unlikely(inode->i_nlink == 0)) {
 		f2fs_warn(F2FS_I_SB(inode), "%s: inode (ino=%lx) has zero i_nlink",
 			  __func__, inode->i_ino);
-		err = -EFSCORRUPTED;
-		set_sbi_flag(F2FS_I_SB(inode), SBI_NEED_FSCK);
-		f2fs_folio_put(folio, false);
-		goto fail;
+		goto corrupted;
+	} else if (S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode) && inode->i_nlink == 1) {
+		f2fs_warn(F2FS_I_SB(inode), "%s: directory inode (ino=%lx) has a single i_nlink",
+			  __func__, inode->i_ino);
+		goto corrupted;
 	}
 
 	f2fs_balance_fs(sbi, true);
@@ -585,7 +586,7 @@ static int f2fs_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	if (err) {
 		f2fs_unlock_op(sbi);
 		f2fs_folio_put(folio, false);
-		goto fail;
+		goto out;
 	}
 	f2fs_delete_entry(de, folio, dir, inode);
 	f2fs_unlock_op(sbi);
@@ -601,7 +602,13 @@ static int f2fs_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 
 	if (IS_DIRSYNC(dir))
 		f2fs_sync_fs(sbi->sb, 1);
-fail:
+
+	goto out;
+corrupted:
+	err = -EFSCORRUPTED;
+	set_sbi_flag(F2FS_I_SB(inode), SBI_NEED_FSCK);
+	f2fs_folio_put(folio, false);
+out:
 	trace_f2fs_unlink_exit(inode, err);
 	return err;
 }