diff --git a/fs/nfs/dir.c b/fs/nfs/dir.c
index bd269d2..db29c7f 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/dir.c
@@ -1123,8 +1123,14 @@
 	}
 	name.hash = full_name_hash(name.name, name.len);
 	dentry = d_lookup(parent, &name);
-	if (dentry != NULL)
-		return dentry;
+	if (dentry != NULL) {
+		/* Is this a positive dentry? */
+		if (dentry->d_inode != NULL)
+			return dentry;
+		/* No, so d_drop to allow one to be created */
+		d_drop(dentry);
+		dput(dentry);
+	}
 	if (!desc->plus || !(entry->fattr->valid & NFS_ATTR_FATTR))
 		return NULL;
 	/* Note: caller is already holding the dir->i_mutex! */