const unsigned char **wnames, *uname;
        int i, n, l, clone, access;
        struct v9fs_session_info *v9ses;
-       struct p9_fid *fid, *old_fid = NULL;
+       struct p9_fid *fid, *old_fid;
 
        v9ses = v9fs_dentry2v9ses(dentry);
        access = v9ses->flags & V9FS_ACCESS_MASK;
                if (IS_ERR(fid))
                        return fid;
 
+               refcount_inc(&fid->count);
                v9fs_fid_add(dentry->d_sb->s_root, fid);
        }
        /* If we are root ourself just return that */
-       if (dentry->d_sb->s_root == dentry) {
-               refcount_inc(&fid->count);
+       if (dentry->d_sb->s_root == dentry)
                return fid;
-       }
        /*
         * Do a multipath walk with attached root.
         * When walking parent we need to make sure we
                fid = ERR_PTR(n);
                goto err_out;
        }
+       old_fid = fid;
        clone = 1;
        i = 0;
        while (i < n) {
                 * walk to ensure none of the patch component change
                 */
                fid = p9_client_walk(fid, l, &wnames[i], clone);
+               /* non-cloning walk will return the same fid */
+               if (fid != old_fid) {
+                       p9_client_clunk(old_fid);
+                       old_fid = fid;
+               }
                if (IS_ERR(fid)) {
-                       if (old_fid) {
-                               /*
-                                * If we fail, clunk fid which are mapping
-                                * to path component and not the last component
-                                * of the path.
-                                */
-                               p9_client_clunk(old_fid);
-                       }
                        kfree(wnames);
                        goto err_out;
                }
-               old_fid = fid;
                i += l;
                clone = 0;
        }