diff --git a/fs/minix/inode.c b/fs/minix/inode.c
index f007e389d5d2..e27907fc9bf2 100644
--- a/fs/minix/inode.c
+++ b/fs/minix/inode.c
@@ -517,6 +517,13 @@ static struct inode *V1_minix_iget(struct inode *inode)
 		iget_failed(inode);
 		return ERR_PTR(-ESTALE);
 	}
+	if (S_ISDIR(raw_inode->i_mode) && raw_inode->i_nlinks == 1) {
+		printk("MINIX-fs: directory inode (%lu) has single i_nlink\n",
+		       inode->i_ino);
+		brelse(bh);
+		iget_failed(inode);
+		return ERR_PTR(-EIO);
+	}
 	inode->i_mode = raw_inode->i_mode;
 	i_uid_write(inode, raw_inode->i_uid);
 	i_gid_write(inode, raw_inode->i_gid);
@@ -555,6 +562,13 @@ static struct inode *V2_minix_iget(struct inode *inode)
 		iget_failed(inode);
 		return ERR_PTR(-ESTALE);
 	}
+	if (S_ISDIR(raw_inode->i_mode) && raw_inode->i_nlinks == 1) {
+		printk("MINIX-fs: directory inode (%lu) has single i_nlink\n",
+		       inode->i_ino);
+		brelse(bh);
+		iget_failed(inode);
+		return ERR_PTR(-EIO);
+	}
 	inode->i_mode = raw_inode->i_mode;
 	i_uid_write(inode, raw_inode->i_uid);
 	i_gid_write(inode, raw_inode->i_gid);
diff --git a/fs/minix/namei.c b/fs/minix/namei.c
index 8938536d8d3c..8297ee6651a1 100644
--- a/fs/minix/namei.c
+++ b/fs/minix/namei.c
@@ -161,15 +161,21 @@ static int minix_unlink(struct inode * dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 static int minix_rmdir(struct inode * dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	struct inode * inode = d_inode(dentry);
-	int err = -ENOTEMPTY;
-
-	if (minix_empty_dir(inode)) {
-		err = minix_unlink(dir, dentry);
-		if (!err) {
-			inode_dec_link_count(dir);
-			inode_dec_link_count(inode);
-		}
+	int err = -EIO;
+
+	if (dir->i_nlink <= 2)
+		goto out;
+
+	err = -ENOTEMPTY;
+	if (!minix_empty_dir(inode))
+		goto out;
+
+	err = minix_unlink(dir, dentry);
+	if (!err) {
+		inode_dec_link_count(dir);
+		inode_dec_link_count(inode);
 	}
+out:
 	return err;
 }