diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index e5240df614de..236482fd503f 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -4343,8 +4343,11 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE3(fsmount, int, fs_fd, unsigned int, flags,
 		warn_mandlock();
 
 	newmount.mnt = vfs_create_mount(fc);
-	if (IS_ERR(newmount.mnt))
-		return PTR_ERR(newmount.mnt);
+	if (IS_ERR(newmount.mnt)) {
+		ret = PTR_ERR(newmount.mnt);
+		newmount.mnt = NULL;
+		return ret;
+	}
 	newmount.dentry = dget(fc->root);
 	newmount.mnt->mnt_flags = mnt_flags;