diff --git a/fs/ceph/mds_client.c b/fs/ceph/mds_client.c
index 374db1bd57d1..145d46ba25ae 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/mds_client.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/mds_client.c
@@ -708,8 +708,10 @@ void ceph_mdsc_release_request(struct kref *kref)
 		/* avoid calling iput_final() in mds dispatch threads */
 		ceph_async_iput(req->r_inode);
 	}
-	if (req->r_parent)
+	if (req->r_parent) {
 		ceph_put_cap_refs(ceph_inode(req->r_parent), CEPH_CAP_PIN);
+		ceph_async_iput(req->r_parent);
+	}
 	ceph_async_iput(req->r_target_inode);
 	if (req->r_dentry)
 		dput(req->r_dentry);
@@ -2676,8 +2678,10 @@ int ceph_mdsc_submit_request(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc, struct inode *dir,
 	/* take CAP_PIN refs for r_inode, r_parent, r_old_dentry */
 	if (req->r_inode)
 		ceph_get_cap_refs(ceph_inode(req->r_inode), CEPH_CAP_PIN);
-	if (req->r_parent)
+	if (req->r_parent) {
 		ceph_get_cap_refs(ceph_inode(req->r_parent), CEPH_CAP_PIN);
+		ihold(req->r_parent);
+	}
 	if (req->r_old_dentry_dir)
 		ceph_get_cap_refs(ceph_inode(req->r_old_dentry_dir),
 				  CEPH_CAP_PIN);