diff --git a/fs/cifs/inode.c b/fs/cifs/inode.c
index f9ff9c1..867b7cd 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/inode.c
@@ -120,6 +120,33 @@
 	cifs_i->invalid_mapping = true;
 }
 
+/*
+ * copy nlink to the inode, unless it wasn't provided.  Provide
+ * sane values if we don't have an existing one and none was provided
+ */
+static void
+cifs_nlink_fattr_to_inode(struct inode *inode, struct cifs_fattr *fattr)
+{
+	/*
+	 * if we're in a situation where we can't trust what we
+	 * got from the server (readdir, some non-unix cases)
+	 * fake reasonable values
+	 */
+	if (fattr->cf_flags & CIFS_FATTR_UNKNOWN_NLINK) {
+		/* only provide fake values on a new inode */
+		if (inode->i_state & I_NEW) {
+			if (fattr->cf_cifsattrs & ATTR_DIRECTORY)
+				set_nlink(inode, 2);
+			else
+				set_nlink(inode, 1);
+		}
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* we trust the server, so update it */
+	set_nlink(inode, fattr->cf_nlink);
+}
+
 /* populate an inode with info from a cifs_fattr struct */
 void
 cifs_fattr_to_inode(struct inode *inode, struct cifs_fattr *fattr)
@@ -134,7 +161,7 @@
 	inode->i_mtime = fattr->cf_mtime;
 	inode->i_ctime = fattr->cf_ctime;
 	inode->i_rdev = fattr->cf_rdev;
-	set_nlink(inode, fattr->cf_nlink);
+	cifs_nlink_fattr_to_inode(inode, fattr);
 	inode->i_uid = fattr->cf_uid;
 	inode->i_gid = fattr->cf_gid;
 
@@ -541,6 +568,7 @@
 	fattr->cf_bytes = le64_to_cpu(info->AllocationSize);
 	fattr->cf_createtime = le64_to_cpu(info->CreationTime);
 
+	fattr->cf_nlink = le32_to_cpu(info->NumberOfLinks);
 	if (fattr->cf_cifsattrs & ATTR_DIRECTORY) {
 		fattr->cf_mode = S_IFDIR | cifs_sb->mnt_dir_mode;
 		fattr->cf_dtype = DT_DIR;
@@ -548,7 +576,8 @@
 		 * Server can return wrong NumberOfLinks value for directories
 		 * when Unix extensions are disabled - fake it.
 		 */
-		fattr->cf_nlink = 2;
+		if (!tcon->unix_ext)
+			fattr->cf_flags |= CIFS_FATTR_UNKNOWN_NLINK;
 	} else if (fattr->cf_cifsattrs & ATTR_REPARSE) {
 		fattr->cf_mode = S_IFLNK;
 		fattr->cf_dtype = DT_LNK;
@@ -561,11 +590,15 @@
 		if (fattr->cf_cifsattrs & ATTR_READONLY)
 			fattr->cf_mode &= ~(S_IWUGO);
 
-		fattr->cf_nlink = le32_to_cpu(info->NumberOfLinks);
-		if (fattr->cf_nlink < 1) {
-			cifs_dbg(1, "replacing bogus file nlink value %u\n",
+		/*
+		 * Don't accept zero nlink from non-unix servers unless
+		 * delete is pending.  Instead mark it as unknown.
+		 */
+		if ((fattr->cf_nlink < 1) && !tcon->unix_ext &&
+		    !info->DeletePending) {
+			cifs_dbg(1, "bogus file nlink value %u\n",
 				fattr->cf_nlink);
-			fattr->cf_nlink = 1;
+			fattr->cf_flags |= CIFS_FATTR_UNKNOWN_NLINK;
 		}
 	}