diff --git a/fs/ext4/fsync.c b/fs/ext4/fsync.c
index ce66d2fe826c..f9dbe33cde5e 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/fsync.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/fsync.c
@@ -129,15 +129,30 @@ static int ext4_sync_parent(struct inode *inode)
 {
 	struct writeback_control wbc;
 	struct dentry *dentry = NULL;
+	struct inode *next;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	while (inode && ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_NEWENTRY)) {
+	if (!ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_NEWENTRY))
+		return 0;
+	inode = igrab(inode);
+	while (ext4_test_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_NEWENTRY)) {
 		ext4_clear_inode_state(inode, EXT4_STATE_NEWENTRY);
-		dentry = list_entry(inode->i_dentry.next,
-				    struct dentry, d_alias);
-		if (!dentry || !dentry->d_parent || !dentry->d_parent->d_inode)
+		dentry = NULL;
+		spin_lock(&inode->i_lock);
+		if (!list_empty(&inode->i_dentry)) {
+			dentry = list_first_entry(&inode->i_dentry,
+						  struct dentry, d_alias);
+			dget(dentry);
+		}
+		spin_unlock(&inode->i_lock);
+		if (!dentry)
 			break;
-		inode = dentry->d_parent->d_inode;
+		next = igrab(dentry->d_parent->d_inode);
+		dput(dentry);
+		if (!next)
+			break;
+		iput(inode);
+		inode = next;
 		ret = sync_mapping_buffers(inode->i_mapping);
 		if (ret)
 			break;
@@ -148,6 +163,7 @@ static int ext4_sync_parent(struct inode *inode)
 		if (ret)
 			break;
 	}
+	iput(inode);
 	return ret;
 }