diff --git a/fs/notify/mark.c b/fs/notify/mark.c
index 3e594ce41010..92e48c70f0f0 100644
--- a/fs/notify/mark.c
+++ b/fs/notify/mark.c
@@ -152,15 +152,31 @@ void fsnotify_destroy_mark_locked(struct fsnotify_mark *mark,
 		BUG();
 
 	list_del_init(&mark->g_list);
+
 	spin_unlock(&mark->lock);
 
 	if (inode && (mark->flags & FSNOTIFY_MARK_FLAG_OBJECT_PINNED))
 		iput(inode);
+	/* release lock temporarily */
+	mutex_unlock(&group->mark_mutex);
 
 	spin_lock(&destroy_lock);
 	list_add(&mark->g_list, &destroy_list);
 	spin_unlock(&destroy_lock);
 	wake_up(&destroy_waitq);
+	/*
+	 * We don't necessarily have a ref on mark from caller so the above destroy
+	 * may have actually freed it, unless this group provides a 'freeing_mark'
+	 * function which must be holding a reference.
+	 */
+
+	/*
+	 * Some groups like to know that marks are being freed.  This is a
+	 * callback to the group function to let it know that this mark
+	 * is being freed.
+	 */
+	if (group->ops->freeing_mark)
+		group->ops->freeing_mark(mark, group);
 
 	/*
 	 * __fsnotify_update_child_dentry_flags(inode);
@@ -175,6 +191,8 @@ void fsnotify_destroy_mark_locked(struct fsnotify_mark *mark,
 	 */
 
 	atomic_dec(&group->num_marks);
+
+	mutex_lock_nested(&group->mark_mutex, SINGLE_DEPTH_NESTING);
 }
 
 void fsnotify_destroy_mark(struct fsnotify_mark *mark,
@@ -187,10 +205,7 @@ void fsnotify_destroy_mark(struct fsnotify_mark *mark,
 
 /*
  * Destroy all marks in the given list. The marks must be already detached from
- * the original inode / vfsmount. Note that we can race with
- * fsnotify_clear_marks_by_group_flags(). However we hold a reference to each
- * mark so they won't get freed from under us and nobody else touches our
- * free_list list_head.
+ * the original inode / vfsmount.
  */
 void fsnotify_destroy_marks(struct list_head *to_free)
 {
@@ -391,7 +406,7 @@ struct fsnotify_mark *fsnotify_find_mark(struct hlist_head *head,
 }
 
 /*
- * Clear any marks in a group in which mark->flags & flags is true.
+ * clear any marks in a group in which mark->flags & flags is true
  */
 void fsnotify_clear_marks_by_group_flags(struct fsnotify_group *group,
 					 unsigned int flags)
@@ -445,7 +460,6 @@ static int fsnotify_mark_destroy(void *ignored)
 {
 	struct fsnotify_mark *mark, *next;
 	struct list_head private_destroy_list;
-	struct fsnotify_group *group;
 
 	for (;;) {
 		spin_lock(&destroy_lock);
@@ -457,14 +471,6 @@ static int fsnotify_mark_destroy(void *ignored)
 
 		list_for_each_entry_safe(mark, next, &private_destroy_list, g_list) {
 			list_del_init(&mark->g_list);
-			group = mark->group;
-			/*
-			 * Some groups like to know that marks are being freed.
-			 * This is a callback to the group function to let it
-			 * know that this mark is being freed.
-			 */
-			if (group && group->ops->freeing_mark)
-				group->ops->freeing_mark(mark, group);
 			fsnotify_put_mark(mark);
 		}