diff --git a/fs/ceph/dir.c b/fs/ceph/dir.c
index f02d82b7933e..0e4da4a9c213 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/dir.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/dir.c
@@ -796,6 +796,8 @@ static int ceph_link(struct dentry *old_dentry, struct inode *dir,
 	req->r_locked_dir = dir;
 	req->r_dentry_drop = CEPH_CAP_FILE_SHARED;
 	req->r_dentry_unless = CEPH_CAP_FILE_EXCL;
+	/* release LINK_SHARED on source inode (mds will lock it) */
+	req->r_old_inode_drop = CEPH_CAP_LINK_SHARED;
 	err = ceph_mdsc_do_request(mdsc, dir, req);
 	if (err) {
 		d_drop(dentry);