diff --git a/fs/gfs2/inode.c b/fs/gfs2/inode.c
index 648f0ca1ad57..998051c4aea7 100644
--- a/fs/gfs2/inode.c
+++ b/fs/gfs2/inode.c
@@ -744,17 +744,19 @@ static int gfs2_create_inode(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 			       the gfs2 structures. */
 	if (default_acl) {
 		error = __gfs2_set_acl(inode, default_acl, ACL_TYPE_DEFAULT);
+		if (error)
+			goto fail_gunlock3;
 		posix_acl_release(default_acl);
+		default_acl = NULL;
 	}
 	if (acl) {
-		if (!error)
-			error = __gfs2_set_acl(inode, acl, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS);
+		error = __gfs2_set_acl(inode, acl, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS);
+		if (error)
+			goto fail_gunlock3;
 		posix_acl_release(acl);
+		acl = NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (error)
-		goto fail_gunlock3;
-
 	error = security_inode_init_security(&ip->i_inode, &dip->i_inode, name,
 					     &gfs2_initxattrs, NULL);
 	if (error)
@@ -789,10 +791,8 @@ fail_free_inode:
 	}
 	gfs2_rsqa_delete(ip, NULL);
 fail_free_acls:
-	if (default_acl)
-		posix_acl_release(default_acl);
-	if (acl)
-		posix_acl_release(acl);
+	posix_acl_release(default_acl);
+	posix_acl_release(acl);
 fail_gunlock:
 	gfs2_dir_no_add(&da);
 	gfs2_glock_dq_uninit(ghs);