diff --git a/fs/afs/dir.c b/fs/afs/dir.c
index 52f44255f65d..855bf2b79fed 100644
--- a/fs/afs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/afs/dir.c
@@ -866,8 +866,6 @@ static struct dentry *afs_lookup(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 	key_put(key);
 	if (inode == ERR_PTR(-ENOENT)) {
 		inode = afs_try_auto_mntpt(dentry, dir);
-		if (inode == ERR_PTR(-ENOENT))
-			inode = NULL;
 	} else {
 		dentry->d_fsdata =
 			(void *)(unsigned long)dvnode->status.data_version;
diff --git a/fs/afs/dynroot.c b/fs/afs/dynroot.c
index 40fea59067b3..1cde710a8013 100644
--- a/fs/afs/dynroot.c
+++ b/fs/afs/dynroot.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ struct inode *afs_try_auto_mntpt(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *dir)
 
 out:
 	_leave("= %d", ret);
-	return ERR_PTR(ret);
+	return ret == -ENOENT ? NULL : ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -141,11 +141,6 @@ out_p:
 static struct dentry *afs_dynroot_lookup(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 					 unsigned int flags)
 {
-	struct afs_vnode *vnode;
-	struct inode *inode;
-
-	vnode = AFS_FS_I(dir);
-
 	_enter("%pd", dentry);
 
 	ASSERTCMP(d_inode(dentry), ==, NULL);
@@ -159,11 +154,7 @@ static struct dentry *afs_dynroot_lookup(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentr
 	    memcmp(dentry->d_name.name, "@cell", 5) == 0)
 		return afs_lookup_atcell(dentry);
 
-	inode = afs_try_auto_mntpt(dentry, dir);
-	if (inode == ERR_PTR(-ENOENT))
-		inode = NULL;
-
-	return d_splice_alias(inode, dentry);
+	return d_splice_alias(afs_try_auto_mntpt(dentry, dir), dentry);
 }
 
 const struct inode_operations afs_dynroot_inode_operations = {