diff --git a/kernel/audit_tree.c b/kernel/audit_tree.c
index 3a5ca582ba1e..ed206fd88cca 100644
--- a/kernel/audit_tree.c
+++ b/kernel/audit_tree.c
@@ -250,7 +250,6 @@ static void untag_chunk(struct node *p)
 		spin_unlock(&hash_lock);
 		spin_unlock(&entry->lock);
 		fsnotify_destroy_mark(entry);
-		fsnotify_put_mark(entry);
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -259,7 +258,7 @@ static void untag_chunk(struct node *p)
 
 	fsnotify_duplicate_mark(&new->mark, entry);
 	if (fsnotify_add_mark(&new->mark, new->mark.group, new->mark.i.inode, NULL, 1)) {
-		free_chunk(new);
+		fsnotify_put_mark(&new->mark);
 		goto Fallback;
 	}
 
@@ -293,7 +292,7 @@ static void untag_chunk(struct node *p)
 	spin_unlock(&hash_lock);
 	spin_unlock(&entry->lock);
 	fsnotify_destroy_mark(entry);
-	fsnotify_put_mark(entry);
+	fsnotify_put_mark(&new->mark);	/* drop initial reference */
 	goto out;
 
 Fallback:
@@ -322,7 +321,7 @@ static int create_chunk(struct inode *inode, struct audit_tree *tree)
 
 	entry = &chunk->mark;
 	if (fsnotify_add_mark(entry, audit_tree_group, inode, NULL, 0)) {
-		free_chunk(chunk);
+		fsnotify_put_mark(entry);
 		return -ENOSPC;
 	}
 
@@ -347,6 +346,7 @@ static int create_chunk(struct inode *inode, struct audit_tree *tree)
 	insert_hash(chunk);
 	spin_unlock(&hash_lock);
 	spin_unlock(&entry->lock);
+	fsnotify_put_mark(entry);	/* drop initial reference */
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ static int tag_chunk(struct inode *inode, struct audit_tree *tree)
 	fsnotify_duplicate_mark(chunk_entry, old_entry);
 	if (fsnotify_add_mark(chunk_entry, chunk_entry->group, chunk_entry->i.inode, NULL, 1)) {
 		spin_unlock(&old_entry->lock);
-		free_chunk(chunk);
+		fsnotify_put_mark(chunk_entry);
 		fsnotify_put_mark(old_entry);
 		return -ENOSPC;
 	}
@@ -444,8 +444,8 @@ static int tag_chunk(struct inode *inode, struct audit_tree *tree)
 	spin_unlock(&chunk_entry->lock);
 	spin_unlock(&old_entry->lock);
 	fsnotify_destroy_mark(old_entry);
+	fsnotify_put_mark(chunk_entry);	/* drop initial reference */
 	fsnotify_put_mark(old_entry); /* pair to fsnotify_find mark_entry */
-	fsnotify_put_mark(old_entry); /* and kill it */
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -916,7 +916,12 @@ static void audit_tree_freeing_mark(struct fsnotify_mark *entry, struct fsnotify
 	struct audit_chunk *chunk = container_of(entry, struct audit_chunk, mark);
 
 	evict_chunk(chunk);
-	fsnotify_put_mark(entry);
+
+	/*
+	 * We are guaranteed to have at least one reference to the mark from
+	 * either the inode or the caller of fsnotify_destroy_mark().
+	 */
+	BUG_ON(atomic_read(&entry->refcnt) < 1);
 }
 
 static bool audit_tree_send_event(struct fsnotify_group *group, struct inode *inode,