diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/dcache.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/dcache.c
index 88614b71cf6d..ddf1fa9f67f8 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/dcache.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/dcache.c
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ void ll_invalidate_aliases(struct inode *inode)
 
 int ll_revalidate_it_finish(struct ptlrpc_request *request,
 			    struct lookup_intent *it,
-			    struct dentry *de)
+			    struct inode *inode)
 {
 	int rc = 0;
 
@@ -280,19 +280,17 @@ int ll_revalidate_it_finish(struct ptlrpc_request *request,
 	if (it_disposition(it, DISP_LOOKUP_NEG))
 		return -ENOENT;
 
-	rc = ll_prep_inode(&de->d_inode, request, NULL, it);
+	rc = ll_prep_inode(&inode, request, NULL, it);
 
 	return rc;
 }
 
-void ll_lookup_finish_locks(struct lookup_intent *it, struct dentry *dentry)
+void ll_lookup_finish_locks(struct lookup_intent *it, struct inode *inode)
 {
 	LASSERT(it != NULL);
-	LASSERT(dentry != NULL);
 
-	if (it->d.lustre.it_lock_mode && dentry->d_inode != NULL) {
-		struct inode *inode = dentry->d_inode;
-		struct ll_sb_info *sbi = ll_i2sbi(dentry->d_inode);
+	if (it->d.lustre.it_lock_mode && inode != NULL) {
+		struct ll_sb_info *sbi = ll_i2sbi(inode);
 
 		CDEBUG(D_DLMTRACE, "setting l_data to inode %p (%lu/%u)\n",
 		       inode, inode->i_ino, inode->i_generation);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/file.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/file.c
index 7c7ef7ec908e..5ebee6ca0a10 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/file.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/file.c
@@ -2912,8 +2912,8 @@ static int __ll_inode_revalidate(struct dentry *dentry, __u64 ibits)
 			oit.it_op = IT_LOOKUP;
 
 		/* Call getattr by fid, so do not provide name at all. */
-		op_data = ll_prep_md_op_data(NULL, dentry->d_inode,
-					     dentry->d_inode, NULL, 0, 0,
+		op_data = ll_prep_md_op_data(NULL, inode,
+					     inode, NULL, 0, 0,
 					     LUSTRE_OPC_ANY, NULL);
 		if (IS_ERR(op_data))
 			return PTR_ERR(op_data);
@@ -2931,7 +2931,7 @@ static int __ll_inode_revalidate(struct dentry *dentry, __u64 ibits)
 			goto out;
 		}
 
-		rc = ll_revalidate_it_finish(req, &oit, dentry);
+		rc = ll_revalidate_it_finish(req, &oit, inode);
 		if (rc != 0) {
 			ll_intent_release(&oit);
 			goto out;
@@ -2944,7 +2944,7 @@ static int __ll_inode_revalidate(struct dentry *dentry, __u64 ibits)
 		if (!dentry->d_inode->i_nlink)
 			d_lustre_invalidate(dentry, 0);
 
-		ll_lookup_finish_locks(&oit, dentry);
+		ll_lookup_finish_locks(&oit, inode);
 	} else if (!ll_have_md_lock(dentry->d_inode, &ibits, LCK_MINMODE)) {
 		struct ll_sb_info *sbi = ll_i2sbi(dentry->d_inode);
 		u64 valid = OBD_MD_FLGETATTR;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/llite_internal.h b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/llite_internal.h
index d032c2b086cc..2af1d7286250 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/llite_internal.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/llite_internal.h
@@ -786,9 +786,9 @@ extern const struct dentry_operations ll_d_ops;
 void ll_intent_drop_lock(struct lookup_intent *);
 void ll_intent_release(struct lookup_intent *);
 void ll_invalidate_aliases(struct inode *);
-void ll_lookup_finish_locks(struct lookup_intent *it, struct dentry *dentry);
+void ll_lookup_finish_locks(struct lookup_intent *it, struct inode *inode);
 int ll_revalidate_it_finish(struct ptlrpc_request *request,
-			    struct lookup_intent *it, struct dentry *de);
+			    struct lookup_intent *it, struct inode *inode);
 
 /* llite/llite_lib.c */
 extern struct super_operations lustre_super_operations;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/namei.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/namei.c
index 4f361b77c749..890ac190f5fa 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/namei.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/namei.c
@@ -481,6 +481,7 @@ static struct dentry *ll_lookup_it(struct inode *parent, struct dentry *dentry,
 	struct lookup_intent lookup_it = { .it_op = IT_LOOKUP };
 	struct dentry *save = dentry, *retval;
 	struct ptlrpc_request *req = NULL;
+	struct inode *inode;
 	struct md_op_data *op_data;
 	__u32 opc;
 	int rc;
@@ -539,12 +540,13 @@ static struct dentry *ll_lookup_it(struct inode *parent, struct dentry *dentry,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if ((it->it_op & IT_OPEN) && dentry->d_inode &&
-	    !S_ISREG(dentry->d_inode->i_mode) &&
-	    !S_ISDIR(dentry->d_inode->i_mode)) {
-		ll_release_openhandle(dentry->d_inode, it);
+	inode = dentry->d_inode;
+	if ((it->it_op & IT_OPEN) && inode &&
+	    !S_ISREG(inode->i_mode) &&
+	    !S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode)) {
+		ll_release_openhandle(inode, it);
 	}
-	ll_lookup_finish_locks(it, dentry);
+	ll_lookup_finish_locks(it, inode);
 
 	if (dentry == save)
 		retval = NULL;