diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
index 0a1397335a8e..c92cc1c00aae 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
@@ -37,17 +37,11 @@ static struct dentry *lock_parent(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	struct dentry *dir;
 
-	dir = dget(dentry->d_parent);
+	dir = dget_parent(dentry);
 	mutex_lock_nested(&(dir->d_inode->i_mutex), I_MUTEX_PARENT);
 	return dir;
 }
 
-static void unlock_parent(struct dentry *dentry)
-{
-	mutex_unlock(&(dentry->d_parent->d_inode->i_mutex));
-	dput(dentry->d_parent);
-}
-
 static void unlock_dir(struct dentry *dir)
 {
 	mutex_unlock(&dir->d_inode->i_mutex);
@@ -426,8 +420,9 @@ static int ecryptfs_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	int rc = 0;
 	struct dentry *lower_dentry = ecryptfs_dentry_to_lower(dentry);
 	struct inode *lower_dir_inode = ecryptfs_inode_to_lower(dir);
+	struct dentry *lower_dir_dentry;
 
-	lock_parent(lower_dentry);
+	lower_dir_dentry = lock_parent(lower_dentry);
 	rc = vfs_unlink(lower_dir_inode, lower_dentry);
 	if (rc) {
 		printk(KERN_ERR "Error in vfs_unlink; rc = [%d]\n", rc);
@@ -439,7 +434,7 @@ static int ecryptfs_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	dentry->d_inode->i_ctime = dir->i_ctime;
 	d_drop(dentry);
 out_unlock:
-	unlock_parent(lower_dentry);
+	unlock_dir(lower_dir_dentry);
 	return rc;
 }