diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index 414def462b99..d1e95cd6b28b 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -633,6 +633,11 @@ static inline bool legitimize_path(struct nameidata *nd,
 static bool legitimize_links(struct nameidata *nd)
 {
 	int i;
+	if (unlikely(nd->flags & LOOKUP_CACHED)) {
+		drop_links(nd);
+		nd->depth = 0;
+		return false;
+	}
 	for (i = 0; i < nd->depth; i++) {
 		struct saved *last = nd->stack + i;
 		if (unlikely(!legitimize_path(nd, &last->link, last->seq))) {
@@ -689,8 +694,6 @@ static bool try_to_unlazy(struct nameidata *nd)
 	BUG_ON(!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU));
 
 	nd->flags &= ~LOOKUP_RCU;
-	if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_CACHED)
-		goto out1;
 	if (unlikely(!legitimize_links(nd)))
 		goto out1;
 	if (unlikely(!legitimize_path(nd, &nd->path, nd->seq)))
@@ -727,8 +730,6 @@ static bool try_to_unlazy_next(struct nameidata *nd, struct dentry *dentry, unsi
 	BUG_ON(!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU));
 
 	nd->flags &= ~LOOKUP_RCU;
-	if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_CACHED)
-		goto out2;
 	if (unlikely(!legitimize_links(nd)))
 		goto out2;
 	if (unlikely(!legitimize_mnt(nd->path.mnt, nd->m_seq)))