diff --git a/fs/autofs/root.c b/fs/autofs/root.c
index a3d414150578..782e57b911ab 100644
--- a/fs/autofs/root.c
+++ b/fs/autofs/root.c
@@ -559,6 +559,13 @@ static int autofs_dir_symlink(struct inode *dir,
 	if (!autofs_oz_mode(sbi))
 		return -EACCES;
 
+	/* autofs_oz_mode() needs to allow path walks when the
+	 * autofs mount is catatonic but the state of an autofs
+	 * file system needs to be preserved over restarts.
+	 */
+	if (sbi->catatonic)
+		return -EACCES;
+
 	BUG_ON(!ino);
 
 	autofs_clean_ino(ino);
@@ -612,9 +619,15 @@ static int autofs_dir_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	struct autofs_info *ino = autofs_dentry_ino(dentry);
 	struct autofs_info *p_ino;
 
-	/* This allows root to remove symlinks */
-	if (!autofs_oz_mode(sbi) && !capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
-		return -EPERM;
+	if (!autofs_oz_mode(sbi))
+		return -EACCES;
+
+	/* autofs_oz_mode() needs to allow path walks when the
+	 * autofs mount is catatonic but the state of an autofs
+	 * file system needs to be preserved over restarts.
+	 */
+	if (sbi->catatonic)
+		return -EACCES;
 
 	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&ino->count)) {
 		p_ino = autofs_dentry_ino(dentry->d_parent);
@@ -697,6 +710,13 @@ static int autofs_dir_rmdir(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	if (!autofs_oz_mode(sbi))
 		return -EACCES;
 
+	/* autofs_oz_mode() needs to allow path walks when the
+	 * autofs mount is catatonic but the state of an autofs
+	 * file system needs to be preserved over restarts.
+	 */
+	if (sbi->catatonic)
+		return -EACCES;
+
 	spin_lock(&sbi->lookup_lock);
 	if (!simple_empty(dentry)) {
 		spin_unlock(&sbi->lookup_lock);
@@ -735,6 +755,13 @@ static int autofs_dir_mkdir(struct inode *dir,
 	if (!autofs_oz_mode(sbi))
 		return -EACCES;
 
+	/* autofs_oz_mode() needs to allow path walks when the
+	 * autofs mount is catatonic but the state of an autofs
+	 * file system needs to be preserved over restarts.
+	 */
+	if (sbi->catatonic)
+		return -EACCES;
+
 	pr_debug("dentry %p, creating %pd\n", dentry, dentry);
 
 	BUG_ON(!ino);