diff --git a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
index 09ab93357957..4d2da7480e5f 100644
--- a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
+++ b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
@@ -264,8 +264,9 @@ create_file_dentry(struct eventfs_inode *ei, struct dentry **e_dentry,
 		 * Note, with the mutex held, the e_dentry cannot have content
 		 * and the ei->is_freed be true at the same time.
 		 */
-		WARN_ON_ONCE(ei->is_freed);
 		dentry = *e_dentry;
+		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(dentry && ei->is_freed))
+			dentry = NULL;
 		/* The lookup does not need to up the dentry refcount */
 		if (dentry && !lookup)
 			dget(dentry);