diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index 2c8a814f3193..f5959f65a70e 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -1793,14 +1793,14 @@ static inline int handle_dots(struct nameidata *nd, int type)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int pick_link(struct nameidata *nd, struct path *link,
+static const char *pick_link(struct nameidata *nd, struct path *link,
 		     struct inode *inode, unsigned seq)
 {
 	int error;
 	struct saved *last;
 	if (unlikely(nd->total_link_count++ >= MAXSYMLINKS)) {
 		path_to_nameidata(link, nd);
-		return -ELOOP;
+		return ERR_PTR(-ELOOP);
 	}
 	if (!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU)) {
 		if (link->mnt == nd->path.mnt)
@@ -1821,7 +1821,7 @@ static int pick_link(struct nameidata *nd, struct path *link,
 		}
 		if (error) {
 			path_put(link);
-			return error;
+			return ERR_PTR(error);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1830,7 +1830,7 @@ static int pick_link(struct nameidata *nd, struct path *link,
 	clear_delayed_call(&last->done);
 	nd->link_inode = inode;
 	last->seq = seq;
-	return 1;
+	return get_link(nd);
 }
 
 enum {WALK_FOLLOW = 1, WALK_MORE = 2, WALK_NOFOLLOW = 4};
@@ -1863,10 +1863,7 @@ static const char *step_into(struct nameidata *nd, int flags,
 		if (read_seqcount_retry(&path.dentry->d_seq, seq))
 			return ERR_PTR(-ECHILD);
 	}
-	err = pick_link(nd, &path, inode, seq);
-	if (err > 0)
-		return get_link(nd);
-	return ERR_PTR(err);
+	return pick_link(nd, &path, inode, seq);
 }
 
 static const char *walk_component(struct nameidata *nd, int flags)