diff --git a/fs/ext4/namei.c b/fs/ext4/namei.c
index 116ff68c5bd4..377d516c475f 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/namei.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/namei.c
@@ -3478,6 +3478,12 @@ static int ext4_rename(struct inode *old_dir, struct dentry *old_dentry,
 	int credits;
 	u8 old_file_type;
 
+	if (new.inode && new.inode->i_nlink == 0) {
+		EXT4_ERROR_INODE(new.inode,
+				 "target of rename is already freed");
+		return -EFSCORRUPTED;
+	}
+
 	if ((ext4_test_inode_flag(new_dir, EXT4_INODE_PROJINHERIT)) &&
 	    (!projid_eq(EXT4_I(new_dir)->i_projid,
 			EXT4_I(old_dentry->d_inode)->i_projid)))