diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/dir.c b/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
index d0a892030a5e..57cf4b64326a 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ static int ovl_create_or_link(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode,
 			      struct ovl_cattr *attr, bool origin)
 {
 	int err;
-	const struct cred *old_cred;
+	const struct cred *old_cred, *hold_cred = NULL;
 	struct cred *override_cred;
 	struct dentry *parent = dentry->d_parent;
 
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ static int ovl_create_or_link(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode,
 				goto out_revert_creds;
 			}
 		}
-		put_cred(override_creds(override_cred));
+		hold_cred = override_creds(override_cred);
 		put_cred(override_cred);
 
 		if (!ovl_dentry_is_whiteout(dentry))
@@ -584,7 +584,9 @@ static int ovl_create_or_link(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode,
 			err = ovl_create_over_whiteout(dentry, inode, attr);
 	}
 out_revert_creds:
-	ovl_revert_creds(old_cred);
+	ovl_revert_creds(old_cred ?: hold_cred);
+	if (old_cred && hold_cred)
+		put_cred(hold_cred);
 	return err;
 }