diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index fb8a36372376..7def6aa9a53d 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@ static int complete_walk(struct nameidata *nd)
 	return status;
 }
 
-static void set_root(struct nameidata *nd)
+static int set_root(struct nameidata *nd)
 {
 	struct fs_struct *fs = current->fs;
 
@@ -814,6 +814,7 @@ static void set_root(struct nameidata *nd)
 		get_fs_root(fs, &nd->root);
 		nd->flags |= LOOKUP_ROOT_GRABBED;
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void path_put_conditional(struct path *path, struct nameidata *nd)
@@ -837,6 +838,11 @@ static inline void path_to_nameidata(const struct path *path,
 
 static int nd_jump_root(struct nameidata *nd)
 {
+	if (!nd->root.mnt) {
+		int error = set_root(nd);
+		if (error)
+			return error;
+	}
 	if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
 		struct dentry *d;
 		nd->path = nd->root;
@@ -1084,10 +1090,9 @@ const char *get_link(struct nameidata *nd)
 			return res;
 	}
 	if (*res == '/') {
-		if (!nd->root.mnt)
-			set_root(nd);
-		if (unlikely(nd_jump_root(nd)))
-			return ERR_PTR(-ECHILD);
+		error = nd_jump_root(nd);
+		if (unlikely(error))
+			return ERR_PTR(error);
 		while (unlikely(*++res == '/'))
 			;
 	}
@@ -1700,8 +1705,13 @@ static inline int may_lookup(struct nameidata *nd)
 static inline int handle_dots(struct nameidata *nd, int type)
 {
 	if (type == LAST_DOTDOT) {
-		if (!nd->root.mnt)
-			set_root(nd);
+		int error = 0;
+
+		if (!nd->root.mnt) {
+			error = set_root(nd);
+			if (error)
+				return error;
+		}
 		if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
 			return follow_dotdot_rcu(nd);
 		} else
@@ -2159,6 +2169,7 @@ OK:
 /* must be paired with terminate_walk() */
 static const char *path_init(struct nameidata *nd, unsigned flags)
 {
+	int error;
 	const char *s = nd->name->name;
 
 	if (!*s)
@@ -2191,11 +2202,13 @@ static const char *path_init(struct nameidata *nd, unsigned flags)
 	nd->path.dentry = NULL;
 
 	nd->m_seq = read_seqbegin(&mount_lock);
+
+	/* Figure out the starting path and root (if needed). */
 	if (*s == '/') {
-		set_root(nd);
-		if (likely(!nd_jump_root(nd)))
-			return s;
-		return ERR_PTR(-ECHILD);
+		error = nd_jump_root(nd);
+		if (unlikely(error))
+			return ERR_PTR(error);
+		return s;
 	} else if (nd->dfd == AT_FDCWD) {
 		if (flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
 			struct fs_struct *fs = current->fs;