diff --git a/fs/kernfs/dir.c b/fs/kernfs/dir.c
index 7be37c8..b61a7ef 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/dir.c
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@
 	if (d_really_is_negative(dentry))
 		goto out_bad_unlocked;
 
-	kn = dentry->d_fsdata;
+	kn = kernfs_dentry_node(dentry);
 	mutex_lock(&kernfs_mutex);
 
 	/* The kernfs node has been deactivated */
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@
 		goto out_bad;
 
 	/* The kernfs node has been moved? */
-	if (dentry->d_parent->d_fsdata != kn->parent)
+	if (kernfs_dentry_node(dentry->d_parent) != kn->parent)
 		goto out_bad;
 
 	/* The kernfs node has been renamed */
@@ -594,14 +594,8 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void kernfs_dop_release(struct dentry *dentry)
-{
-	kernfs_put(dentry->d_fsdata);
-}
-
 const struct dentry_operations kernfs_dops = {
 	.d_revalidate	= kernfs_dop_revalidate,
-	.d_release	= kernfs_dop_release,
 };
 
 /**
@@ -617,8 +611,9 @@
  */
 struct kernfs_node *kernfs_node_from_dentry(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	if (dentry->d_sb->s_op == &kernfs_sops)
-		return dentry->d_fsdata;
+	if (dentry->d_sb->s_op == &kernfs_sops &&
+	    !d_really_is_negative(dentry))
+		return kernfs_dentry_node(dentry);
 	return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -1056,7 +1051,7 @@
 					unsigned int flags)
 {
 	struct dentry *ret;
-	struct kernfs_node *parent = dentry->d_parent->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *parent = dir->i_private;
 	struct kernfs_node *kn;
 	struct inode *inode;
 	const void *ns = NULL;
@@ -1073,8 +1068,6 @@
 		ret = NULL;
 		goto out_unlock;
 	}
-	kernfs_get(kn);
-	dentry->d_fsdata = kn;
 
 	/* attach dentry and inode */
 	inode = kernfs_get_inode(dir->i_sb, kn);
@@ -1111,7 +1104,7 @@
 
 static int kernfs_iop_rmdir(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	struct kernfs_node *kn  = dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *kn  = kernfs_dentry_node(dentry);
 	struct kernfs_syscall_ops *scops = kernfs_root(kn)->syscall_ops;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -1131,7 +1124,7 @@
 			     struct inode *new_dir, struct dentry *new_dentry,
 			     unsigned int flags)
 {
-	struct kernfs_node *kn  = old_dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *kn = kernfs_dentry_node(old_dentry);
 	struct kernfs_node *new_parent = new_dir->i_private;
 	struct kernfs_syscall_ops *scops = kernfs_root(kn)->syscall_ops;
 	int ret;
@@ -1644,7 +1637,7 @@
 static int kernfs_fop_readdir(struct file *file, struct dir_context *ctx)
 {
 	struct dentry *dentry = file->f_path.dentry;
-	struct kernfs_node *parent = dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *parent = kernfs_dentry_node(dentry);
 	struct kernfs_node *pos = file->private_data;
 	const void *ns = NULL;
 
diff --git a/fs/kernfs/file.c b/fs/kernfs/file.c
index ac2dfe0..7f90d4d 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/file.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/file.c
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@
 
 static int kernfs_fop_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
-	struct kernfs_node *kn = file->f_path.dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *kn = inode->i_private;
 	struct kernfs_root *root = kernfs_root(kn);
 	const struct kernfs_ops *ops;
 	struct kernfs_open_file *of;
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@
 
 static int kernfs_fop_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 {
-	struct kernfs_node *kn = filp->f_path.dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *kn = inode->i_private;
 	struct kernfs_open_file *of = kernfs_of(filp);
 
 	if (kn->flags & KERNFS_HAS_RELEASE) {
@@ -835,7 +835,7 @@
 static unsigned int kernfs_fop_poll(struct file *filp, poll_table *wait)
 {
 	struct kernfs_open_file *of = kernfs_of(filp);
-	struct kernfs_node *kn = filp->f_path.dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *kn = kernfs_dentry_node(filp->f_path.dentry);
 	struct kernfs_open_node *on = kn->attr.open;
 
 	if (!kernfs_get_active(kn))
diff --git a/fs/kernfs/inode.c b/fs/kernfs/inode.c
index 79cdae4..4c8b510 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/inode.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
 int kernfs_iop_setattr(struct dentry *dentry, struct iattr *iattr)
 {
 	struct inode *inode = d_inode(dentry);
-	struct kernfs_node *kn = dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *kn = inode->i_private;
 	int error;
 
 	if (!kn)
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
 
 ssize_t kernfs_iop_listxattr(struct dentry *dentry, char *buf, size_t size)
 {
-	struct kernfs_node *kn = dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *kn = kernfs_dentry_node(dentry);
 	struct kernfs_iattrs *attrs;
 
 	attrs = kernfs_iattrs(kn);
@@ -203,8 +203,8 @@
 int kernfs_iop_getattr(const struct path *path, struct kstat *stat,
 		       u32 request_mask, unsigned int query_flags)
 {
-	struct kernfs_node *kn = path->dentry->d_fsdata;
 	struct inode *inode = d_inode(path->dentry);
+	struct kernfs_node *kn = inode->i_private;
 
 	mutex_lock(&kernfs_mutex);
 	kernfs_refresh_inode(kn, inode);
diff --git a/fs/kernfs/kernfs-internal.h b/fs/kernfs/kernfs-internal.h
index e9c226f..0f260dc 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/kernfs-internal.h
+++ b/fs/kernfs/kernfs-internal.h
@@ -70,6 +70,13 @@
 };
 #define kernfs_info(SB) ((struct kernfs_super_info *)(SB->s_fs_info))
 
+static inline struct kernfs_node *kernfs_dentry_node(struct dentry *dentry)
+{
+	if (d_really_is_negative(dentry))
+		return NULL;
+	return d_inode(dentry)->i_private;
+}
+
 extern const struct super_operations kernfs_sops;
 extern struct kmem_cache *kernfs_node_cache;
 
diff --git a/fs/kernfs/mount.c b/fs/kernfs/mount.c
index 69c48be..acd5426 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/mount.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/mount.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 static int kernfs_sop_show_options(struct seq_file *sf, struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	struct kernfs_root *root = kernfs_root(dentry->d_fsdata);
+	struct kernfs_root *root = kernfs_root(kernfs_dentry_node(dentry));
 	struct kernfs_syscall_ops *scops = root->syscall_ops;
 
 	if (scops && scops->show_options)
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 
 static int kernfs_sop_show_path(struct seq_file *sf, struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	struct kernfs_node *node = dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *node = kernfs_dentry_node(dentry);
 	struct kernfs_root *root = kernfs_root(node);
 	struct kernfs_syscall_ops *scops = root->syscall_ops;
 
@@ -176,8 +176,6 @@
 		pr_debug("%s: could not get root dentry!\n", __func__);
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
-	kernfs_get(info->root->kn);
-	root->d_fsdata = info->root->kn;
 	sb->s_root = root;
 	sb->s_d_op = &kernfs_dops;
 	return 0;
@@ -283,7 +281,6 @@
 void kernfs_kill_sb(struct super_block *sb)
 {
 	struct kernfs_super_info *info = kernfs_info(sb);
-	struct kernfs_node *root_kn = sb->s_root->d_fsdata;
 
 	mutex_lock(&kernfs_mutex);
 	list_del(&info->node);
@@ -295,7 +292,6 @@
 	 */
 	kill_anon_super(sb);
 	kfree(info);
-	kernfs_put(root_kn);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/fs/kernfs/symlink.c b/fs/kernfs/symlink.c
index 1684af4..08ccabd 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/symlink.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/symlink.c
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int kernfs_getlink(struct dentry *dentry, char *path)
+static int kernfs_getlink(struct inode *inode, char *path)
 {
-	struct kernfs_node *kn = dentry->d_fsdata;
+	struct kernfs_node *kn = inode->i_private;
 	struct kernfs_node *parent = kn->parent;
 	struct kernfs_node *target = kn->symlink.target_kn;
 	int error;
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
 	body = kzalloc(PAGE_SIZE, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!body)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
-	error = kernfs_getlink(dentry, body);
+	error = kernfs_getlink(inode, body);
 	if (unlikely(error < 0)) {
 		kfree(body);
 		return ERR_PTR(error);