diff --git a/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_fsnotify.c b/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_fsnotify.c
index 0f88bc0b4e6c..7d888d77d59a 100644
--- a/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_fsnotify.c
+++ b/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_fsnotify.c
@@ -165,8 +165,10 @@ static void inotify_free_group_priv(struct fsnotify_group *group)
 	/* ideally the idr is empty and we won't hit the BUG in the callback */
 	idr_for_each(&group->inotify_data.idr, idr_callback, group);
 	idr_destroy(&group->inotify_data.idr);
-	atomic_dec(&group->inotify_data.user->inotify_devs);
-	free_uid(group->inotify_data.user);
+	if (group->inotify_data.user) {
+		atomic_dec(&group->inotify_data.user->inotify_devs);
+		free_uid(group->inotify_data.user);
+	}
 }
 
 static void inotify_free_event(struct fsnotify_event *fsn_event)