diff --git a/fs/dcache.c b/fs/dcache.c
index 656ce52..37b5afd 100644
--- a/fs/dcache.c
+++ b/fs/dcache.c
@@ -1239,13 +1239,13 @@
 		/* might go back up the wrong parent if we have had a rename. */
 		if (need_seqretry(&rename_lock, seq))
 			goto rename_retry;
-		next = child->d_child.next;
-		while (unlikely(child->d_flags & DCACHE_DENTRY_KILLED)) {
+		/* go into the first sibling still alive */
+		do {
+			next = child->d_child.next;
 			if (next == &this_parent->d_subdirs)
 				goto ascend;
 			child = list_entry(next, struct dentry, d_child);
-			next = next->next;
-		}
+		} while (unlikely(child->d_flags & DCACHE_DENTRY_KILLED));
 		rcu_read_unlock();
 		goto resume;
 	}