diff --git a/include/linux/mm_inline.h b/include/linux/mm_inline.h
index 6005ea9b426b..d17917f0bf2a 100644
--- a/include/linux/mm_inline.h
+++ b/include/linux/mm_inline.h
@@ -113,11 +113,6 @@ static __always_inline void del_page_from_lru_list(struct page *page,
  */
 extern const char *vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma);
 
-/* mmap_lock should be read-locked */
-extern struct anon_vma_name *vma_anon_name_get(struct vm_area_struct *vma);
-
-extern void vma_anon_name_put(struct anon_vma_name *anon_name);
-
 /*
  * mmap_lock should be read-locked for orig_vma->vm_mm.
  * mmap_lock should be write-locked for new_vma->vm_mm or new_vma should be
@@ -149,14 +144,6 @@ static inline const char *vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 {
 	return NULL;
 }
-
-static inline
-struct anon_vma_name *vma_anon_name_get(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
-{
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-static inline void vma_anon_name_put(struct anon_vma_name *anon_name) {}
 static inline void dup_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *orig_vma,
 			      struct vm_area_struct *new_vma) {}
 static inline void free_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma) {}
diff --git a/mm/madvise.c b/mm/madvise.c
index 1fd8d964ac1c..4aba8394b7cf 100644
--- a/mm/madvise.c
+++ b/mm/madvise.c
@@ -70,9 +70,6 @@ static struct anon_vma_name *anon_vma_name_alloc(const char *name)
 	struct anon_vma_name *anon_name;
 	size_t count;
 
-	if (!name)
-		return NULL;
-
 	/* Add 1 for NUL terminator at the end of the anon_name->name */
 	count = strlen(name) + 1;
 	anon_name = kmalloc(struct_size(anon_name, name, count), GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -106,23 +103,6 @@ const char *vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 	return vma->anon_name->name;
 }
 
-struct anon_vma_name *vma_anon_name_get(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
-{
-	if (!has_vma_anon_name(vma))
-		return NULL;
-
-	mmap_assert_locked(vma->vm_mm);
-
-	kref_get(&vma->anon_name->kref);
-	return vma->anon_name;
-}
-
-void vma_anon_name_put(struct anon_vma_name *anon_name)
-{
-	if (anon_name)
-		kref_put(&anon_name->kref, vma_anon_name_free);
-}
-
 void dup_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *orig_vma,
 		       struct vm_area_struct *new_vma)
 {
@@ -146,34 +126,33 @@ void free_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 }
 
 /* mmap_lock should be write-locked */
-static int replace_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
-				 struct anon_vma_name *anon_name)
+static int replace_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma, const char *name)
 {
-	const char *orig_name;
+	const char *anon_name;
 
-	if (!anon_name) {
+	if (!name) {
 		free_vma_anon_name(vma);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	orig_name = vma_anon_name(vma);
-	if (orig_name) {
+	anon_name = vma_anon_name(vma);
+	if (anon_name) {
 		/* Same name, nothing to do here */
-		if (!strcmp(anon_name->name, orig_name))
+		if (!strcmp(name, anon_name))
 			return 0;
 
 		free_vma_anon_name(vma);
 	}
-	kref_get(&anon_name->kref);
-	vma->anon_name = anon_name;
+	vma->anon_name = anon_vma_name_alloc(name);
+	if (!vma->anon_name)
+		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	return 0;
 }
 #else /* CONFIG_ANON_VMA_NAME */
-static int replace_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
-				 struct anon_vma_name *anon_name)
+static int replace_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma, const char *name)
 {
-	if (anon_name)
+	if (name)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -182,15 +161,12 @@ static int replace_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 /*
  * Update the vm_flags on region of a vma, splitting it or merging it as
  * necessary.  Must be called with mmap_sem held for writing;
- * Caller should ensure anon_name stability by raising its refcount even when
- * anon_name belongs to a valid vma because this function might free that vma.
  */
 static int madvise_update_vma(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 			      struct vm_area_struct **prev, unsigned long start,
 			      unsigned long end, unsigned long new_flags,
-			      struct anon_vma_name *anon_name)
+			      const char *name)
 {
-	const char *name = anon_name ? anon_name->name : NULL;
 	struct mm_struct *mm = vma->vm_mm;
 	int error;
 	pgoff_t pgoff;
@@ -233,7 +209,7 @@ success:
 	 */
 	vma->vm_flags = new_flags;
 	if (!vma->vm_file) {
-		error = replace_vma_anon_name(vma, anon_name);
+		error = replace_vma_anon_name(vma, name);
 		if (error)
 			return error;
 	}
@@ -1000,7 +976,6 @@ static int madvise_vma_behavior(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 {
 	int error;
 	unsigned long new_flags = vma->vm_flags;
-	struct anon_vma_name *anon_name;
 
 	switch (behavior) {
 	case MADV_REMOVE:
@@ -1065,10 +1040,8 @@ static int madvise_vma_behavior(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 		break;
 	}
 
-	anon_name = vma_anon_name_get(vma);
 	error = madvise_update_vma(vma, prev, start, end, new_flags,
-				   anon_name);
-	vma_anon_name_put(anon_name);
+				   vma_anon_name(vma));
 
 out:
 	/*
@@ -1252,7 +1225,7 @@ int madvise_walk_vmas(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long start,
 static int madvise_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 				 struct vm_area_struct **prev,
 				 unsigned long start, unsigned long end,
-				 unsigned long anon_name)
+				 unsigned long name)
 {
 	int error;
 
@@ -1261,7 +1234,7 @@ static int madvise_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 		return -EBADF;
 
 	error = madvise_update_vma(vma, prev, start, end, vma->vm_flags,
-				   (struct anon_vma_name *)anon_name);
+				   (const char *)name);
 
 	/*
 	 * madvise() returns EAGAIN if kernel resources, such as
@@ -1275,10 +1248,8 @@ static int madvise_vma_anon_name(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 int madvise_set_anon_name(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long start,
 			  unsigned long len_in, const char *name)
 {
-	struct anon_vma_name *anon_name;
 	unsigned long end;
 	unsigned long len;
-	int ret;
 
 	if (start & ~PAGE_MASK)
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -1295,12 +1266,8 @@ int madvise_set_anon_name(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long start,
 	if (end == start)
 		return 0;
 
-	anon_name = anon_vma_name_alloc(name);
-	ret = madvise_walk_vmas(mm, start, end, (unsigned long)anon_name,
+	return madvise_walk_vmas(mm, start, end, (unsigned long)name,
 				 madvise_vma_anon_name);
-	vma_anon_name_put(anon_name);
-
-	return ret;
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_ANON_VMA_NAME */
 /*