diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
index 09fa935db5aa..86e17ddbc160 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ enum ovl_path_type ovl_path_type(struct dentry *dentry);
 void ovl_path_upper(struct dentry *dentry, struct path *path);
 void ovl_path_lower(struct dentry *dentry, struct path *path);
 void ovl_path_lowerdata(struct dentry *dentry, struct path *path);
-void ovl_i_path_real(struct inode *inode, struct path *path);
+struct inode *ovl_i_path_real(struct inode *inode, struct path *path);
 enum ovl_path_type ovl_path_real(struct dentry *dentry, struct path *path);
 enum ovl_path_type ovl_path_realdata(struct dentry *dentry, struct path *path);
 struct dentry *ovl_dentry_upper(struct dentry *dentry);
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/util.c b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
index 4197dab4951e..4089ccc33c36 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/util.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ struct dentry *ovl_i_dentry_upper(struct inode *inode)
 	return ovl_upperdentry_dereference(OVL_I(inode));
 }
 
-void ovl_i_path_real(struct inode *inode, struct path *path)
+struct inode *ovl_i_path_real(struct inode *inode, struct path *path)
 {
 	path->dentry = ovl_i_dentry_upper(inode);
 	if (!path->dentry) {
@@ -268,6 +268,8 @@ void ovl_i_path_real(struct inode *inode, struct path *path)
 	} else {
 		path->mnt = ovl_upper_mnt(OVL_FS(inode->i_sb));
 	}
+
+	return  path->dentry ? d_inode(path->dentry) : NULL;
 }
 
 struct inode *ovl_inode_upper(struct inode *inode)
@@ -1114,8 +1116,7 @@ void ovl_copyattr(struct inode *inode)
 	struct inode *realinode;
 	struct user_namespace *real_mnt_userns;
 
-	ovl_i_path_real(inode, &realpath);
-	realinode = d_inode(realpath.dentry);
+	realinode = ovl_i_path_real(inode, &realpath);
 	real_mnt_userns = mnt_user_ns(realpath.mnt);
 
 	inode->i_uid = i_uid_into_mnt(real_mnt_userns, realinode);