diff --git a/fs/nfsd/filecache.c b/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
index d61c8223082a..43bb2fd47cf5 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
@@ -1101,7 +1101,7 @@ retry:
 	nf = nfsd_file_alloc(&key, may_flags);
 	if (!nf) {
 		status = nfserr_jukebox;
-		goto out_status;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	ret = rhashtable_lookup_insert_key(&nfsd_file_rhash_tbl,
@@ -1110,13 +1110,11 @@ retry:
 	if (likely(ret == 0))
 		goto open_file;
 
-	nfsd_file_slab_free(&nf->nf_rcu);
-	nf = NULL;
 	if (ret == -EEXIST)
 		goto retry;
 	trace_nfsd_file_insert_err(rqstp, key.inode, may_flags, ret);
 	status = nfserr_jukebox;
-	goto out_status;
+	goto construction_err;
 
 wait_for_construction:
 	wait_on_bit(&nf->nf_flags, NFSD_FILE_PENDING, TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE);
@@ -1126,29 +1124,25 @@ wait_for_construction:
 		trace_nfsd_file_cons_err(rqstp, key.inode, may_flags, nf);
 		if (!open_retry) {
 			status = nfserr_jukebox;
-			goto out;
+			goto construction_err;
 		}
 		open_retry = false;
-		if (refcount_dec_and_test(&nf->nf_ref))
-			nfsd_file_free(nf);
 		goto retry;
 	}
-
 	this_cpu_inc(nfsd_file_cache_hits);
 
 	status = nfserrno(nfsd_open_break_lease(file_inode(nf->nf_file), may_flags));
+	if (status != nfs_ok) {
+		nfsd_file_put(nf);
+		nf = NULL;
+	}
+
 out:
 	if (status == nfs_ok) {
 		this_cpu_inc(nfsd_file_acquisitions);
 		nfsd_file_check_write_error(nf);
 		*pnf = nf;
-	} else {
-		if (refcount_dec_and_test(&nf->nf_ref))
-			nfsd_file_free(nf);
-		nf = NULL;
 	}
-
-out_status:
 	put_cred(key.cred);
 	trace_nfsd_file_acquire(rqstp, key.inode, may_flags, nf, status);
 	return status;
@@ -1178,6 +1172,13 @@ open_file:
 	if (status != nfs_ok)
 		nfsd_file_unhash(nf);
 	clear_and_wake_up_bit(NFSD_FILE_PENDING, &nf->nf_flags);
+	if (status == nfs_ok)
+		goto out;
+
+construction_err:
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&nf->nf_ref))
+		nfsd_file_free(nf);
+	nf = NULL;
 	goto out;
 }