diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/export.c b/fs/overlayfs/export.c
index 11dd8177770d..19574ef17470 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/export.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/export.c
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_lookup_real_one(struct dentry *connected,
 	 */
 	take_dentry_name_snapshot(&name, real);
 	this = lookup_one_len(name.name.name, connected, name.name.len);
+	release_dentry_name_snapshot(&name);
 	err = PTR_ERR(this);
 	if (IS_ERR(this)) {
 		goto fail;
@@ -409,7 +410,6 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_lookup_real_one(struct dentry *connected,
 	}
 
 out:
-	release_dentry_name_snapshot(&name);
 	dput(parent);
 	inode_unlock(dir);
 	return this;