diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c
index c9057462b973..57f791899de3 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c
@@ -1813,13 +1813,17 @@ out:
 	release_copy_files(copy);
 	return status;
 out_err:
+	if (nfsd4_ssc_is_inter(copy)) {
+		/*
+		 * Source's vfsmount of inter-copy will be unmounted
+		 * by the laundromat. Use copy instead of async_copy
+		 * since async_copy->ss_nsui might not be set yet.
+		 */
+		refcount_dec(&copy->ss_nsui->nsui_refcnt);
+	}
 	if (async_copy)
 		cleanup_async_copy(async_copy);
 	status = nfserrno(-ENOMEM);
-	/*
-	 * source's vfsmount of inter-copy will be unmounted
-	 * by the laundromat
-	 */
 	goto out;
 }