diff --git a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.c b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.c
index c7e5e8f54748..0e792f5e3147 100644
--- a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.c
+++ b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.c
@@ -192,14 +192,17 @@ static int fanotify_handle_event(struct fsnotify_group *group,
 
 	ret = fsnotify_add_notify_event(group, fsn_event, fanotify_merge);
 	if (ret) {
+		BUG_ON(mask & FAN_ALL_PERM_EVENTS);
 		/* Our event wasn't used in the end. Free it. */
 		fsnotify_destroy_event(group, fsn_event);
 		ret = 0;
 	}
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_FANOTIFY_ACCESS_PERMISSIONS
-	if (mask & FAN_ALL_PERM_EVENTS)
+	if (mask & FAN_ALL_PERM_EVENTS) {
 		ret = fanotify_get_response_from_access(group, event);
+		fsnotify_destroy_event(group, fsn_event);
+	}
 #endif
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.h b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.h
index 0e90174a116a..32a2f034fb94 100644
--- a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.h
+++ b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify.h
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@
 
 extern struct kmem_cache *fanotify_event_cachep;
 
+/*
+ * Lifetime of the structure differs for normal and permission events. In both
+ * cases the structure is allocated in fanotify_handle_event(). For normal
+ * events the structure is freed immediately after reporting it to userspace.
+ * For permission events we free it only after we receive response from
+ * userspace.
+ */
 struct fanotify_event_info {
 	struct fsnotify_event fse;
 	/*
diff --git a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify_user.c b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify_user.c
index 1fd66abe5740..b6175fa11bf8 100644
--- a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify_user.c
+++ b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify_user.c
@@ -319,7 +319,12 @@ static ssize_t fanotify_read(struct file *file, char __user *buf,
 			if (IS_ERR(kevent))
 				break;
 			ret = copy_event_to_user(group, kevent, buf);
-			fsnotify_destroy_event(group, kevent);
+			/*
+			 * Permission events get destroyed after we
+			 * receive response
+			 */
+			if (!(kevent->mask & FAN_ALL_PERM_EVENTS))
+				fsnotify_destroy_event(group, kevent);
 			if (ret < 0)
 				break;
 			buf += ret;