diff --git a/fs/cachefiles/bind.c b/fs/cachefiles/bind.c
index d9f001078e08..4a717d400807 100644
--- a/fs/cachefiles/bind.c
+++ b/fs/cachefiles/bind.c
@@ -218,7 +218,8 @@ static int cachefiles_daemon_add_cache(struct cachefiles_cache *cache)
 			   "%s",
 			   fsdef->dentry->d_sb->s_id);
 
-	fscache_object_init(&fsdef->fscache, NULL, &cache->cache);
+	fscache_object_init(&fsdef->fscache, &fscache_fsdef_index,
+			    &cache->cache);
 
 	ret = fscache_add_cache(&cache->cache, &fsdef->fscache, cache->tag);
 	if (ret < 0)
diff --git a/fs/fscache/cache.c b/fs/fscache/cache.c
index c184c5a356ff..cdcb376ef8df 100644
--- a/fs/fscache/cache.c
+++ b/fs/fscache/cache.c
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ int fscache_add_cache(struct fscache_cache *cache,
 {
 	struct fscache_cache_tag *tag;
 
+	ASSERTCMP(ifsdef->cookie, ==, &fscache_fsdef_index);
 	BUG_ON(!cache->ops);
 	BUG_ON(!ifsdef);
 
@@ -248,7 +249,6 @@ int fscache_add_cache(struct fscache_cache *cache,
 	if (!cache->kobj)
 		goto error;
 
-	ifsdef->cookie = &fscache_fsdef_index;
 	ifsdef->cache = cache;
 	cache->fsdef = ifsdef;
 
diff --git a/fs/fscache/cookie.c b/fs/fscache/cookie.c
index 97137d7ec5ee..83bfe04456b6 100644
--- a/fs/fscache/cookie.c
+++ b/fs/fscache/cookie.c
@@ -516,6 +516,7 @@ static int fscache_alloc_object(struct fscache_cache *cache,
 		goto error;
 	}
 
+	ASSERTCMP(object->cookie, ==, cookie);
 	fscache_stat(&fscache_n_object_alloc);
 
 	object->debug_id = atomic_inc_return(&fscache_object_debug_id);
@@ -571,6 +572,8 @@ static int fscache_attach_object(struct fscache_cookie *cookie,
 
 	_enter("{%s},{OBJ%x}", cookie->def->name, object->debug_id);
 
+	ASSERTCMP(object->cookie, ==, cookie);
+
 	spin_lock(&cookie->lock);
 
 	/* there may be multiple initial creations of this object, but we only
@@ -610,9 +613,7 @@ static int fscache_attach_object(struct fscache_cookie *cookie,
 		spin_unlock(&cache->object_list_lock);
 	}
 
-	/* attach to the cookie */
-	object->cookie = cookie;
-	fscache_cookie_get(cookie, fscache_cookie_get_attach_object);
+	/* Attach to the cookie.  The object already has a ref on it. */
 	hlist_add_head(&object->cookie_link, &cookie->backing_objects);
 
 	fscache_objlist_add(object);
diff --git a/fs/fscache/object.c b/fs/fscache/object.c
index 20e0d0a4dc8c..9edc920f651f 100644
--- a/fs/fscache/object.c
+++ b/fs/fscache/object.c
@@ -327,6 +327,7 @@ void fscache_object_init(struct fscache_object *object,
 	object->store_limit_l = 0;
 	object->cache = cache;
 	object->cookie = cookie;
+	fscache_cookie_get(cookie, fscache_cookie_get_attach_object);
 	object->parent = NULL;
 #ifdef CONFIG_FSCACHE_OBJECT_LIST
 	RB_CLEAR_NODE(&object->objlist_link);