diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index 567ee547492b..94565bd7e73f 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ getname_flags(const char __user *filename, int flags, int *empty)
 		}
 	}
 
-	result->refcnt = 1;
+	atomic_set(&result->refcnt, 1);
 	/* The empty path is special. */
 	if (unlikely(!len)) {
 		if (empty)
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ getname_kernel(const char * filename)
 	memcpy((char *)result->name, filename, len);
 	result->uptr = NULL;
 	result->aname = NULL;
-	result->refcnt = 1;
+	atomic_set(&result->refcnt, 1);
 	audit_getname(result);
 
 	return result;
@@ -261,9 +261,10 @@ void putname(struct filename *name)
 	if (IS_ERR(name))
 		return;
 
-	BUG_ON(name->refcnt <= 0);
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!atomic_read(&name->refcnt)))
+		return;
 
-	if (--name->refcnt > 0)
+	if (!atomic_dec_and_test(&name->refcnt))
 		return;
 
 	if (name->name != name->iname) {
diff --git a/include/linux/fs.h b/include/linux/fs.h
index b528f063e8ff..4a40823c3c67 100644
--- a/include/linux/fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/fs.h
@@ -2403,7 +2403,7 @@ struct audit_names;
 struct filename {
 	const char		*name;	/* pointer to actual string */
 	const __user char	*uptr;	/* original userland pointer */
-	int			refcnt;
+	atomic_t		refcnt;
 	struct audit_names	*aname;
 	const char		iname[];
 };
diff --git a/kernel/auditsc.c b/kernel/auditsc.c
index 21d2fa815e78..6f0d6fb6523f 100644
--- a/kernel/auditsc.c
+++ b/kernel/auditsc.c
@@ -2212,7 +2212,7 @@ __audit_reusename(const __user char *uptr)
 		if (!n->name)
 			continue;
 		if (n->name->uptr == uptr) {
-			n->name->refcnt++;
+			atomic_inc(&n->name->refcnt);
 			return n->name;
 		}
 	}
@@ -2241,7 +2241,7 @@ void __audit_getname(struct filename *name)
 	n->name = name;
 	n->name_len = AUDIT_NAME_FULL;
 	name->aname = n;
-	name->refcnt++;
+	atomic_inc(&name->refcnt);
 }
 
 static inline int audit_copy_fcaps(struct audit_names *name,
@@ -2373,7 +2373,7 @@ void __audit_inode(struct filename *name, const struct dentry *dentry,
 		return;
 	if (name) {
 		n->name = name;
-		name->refcnt++;
+		atomic_inc(&name->refcnt);
 	}
 
 out:
@@ -2500,7 +2500,7 @@ void __audit_inode_child(struct inode *parent,
 		if (found_parent) {
 			found_child->name = found_parent->name;
 			found_child->name_len = AUDIT_NAME_FULL;
-			found_child->name->refcnt++;
+			atomic_inc(&found_child->name->refcnt);
 		}
 	}