diff --git a/fs/kernfs/dir.c b/fs/kernfs/dir.c
index cf4c636ff4da..3388fe79de7b 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/dir.c
@@ -1410,8 +1410,11 @@ int kernfs_remove_by_name_ns(struct kernfs_node *parent, const char *name,
 	mutex_lock(&kernfs_mutex);
 
 	kn = kernfs_find_ns(parent, name, ns);
-	if (kn)
+	if (kn) {
+		kernfs_get(kn);
 		__kernfs_remove(kn);
+		kernfs_put(kn);
+	}
 
 	mutex_unlock(&kernfs_mutex);