diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/dir.c b/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
index f4cf292..723b98b 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@
 		inc_nlink(inode);
 	}
 	d_instantiate(dentry, inode);
+	/* Force lookup of new upper hardlink to find its lower */
+	if (hardlink)
+		d_drop(dentry);
 }
 
 static bool ovl_type_merge(struct dentry *dentry)