diff --git a/fs/ceph/dir.c b/fs/ceph/dir.c
index 6bd2ad3e047152..133dbd9338e730 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/dir.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/dir.c
@@ -788,6 +788,7 @@ static struct dentry *ceph_lookup(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 		mask |= CEPH_CAP_XATTR_SHARED;
 	req->r_args.getattr.mask = cpu_to_le32(mask);
 
+	ihold(dir);
 	req->r_parent = dir;
 	set_bit(CEPH_MDS_R_PARENT_LOCKED, &req->r_req_flags);
 	err = ceph_mdsc_do_request(mdsc, NULL, req);
@@ -868,6 +869,7 @@ static int ceph_mknod(struct user_namespace *mnt_userns, struct inode *dir,
 	req->r_dentry = dget(dentry);
 	req->r_num_caps = 2;
 	req->r_parent = dir;
+	ihold(dir);
 	set_bit(CEPH_MDS_R_PARENT_LOCKED, &req->r_req_flags);
 	req->r_args.mknod.mode = cpu_to_le32(mode);
 	req->r_args.mknod.rdev = cpu_to_le32(rdev);
@@ -929,6 +931,8 @@ static int ceph_symlink(struct user_namespace *mnt_userns, struct inode *dir,
 		goto out;
 	}
 	req->r_parent = dir;
+	ihold(dir);
+
 	set_bit(CEPH_MDS_R_PARENT_LOCKED, &req->r_req_flags);
 	req->r_dentry = dget(dentry);
 	req->r_num_caps = 2;
@@ -993,6 +997,7 @@ static int ceph_mkdir(struct user_namespace *mnt_userns, struct inode *dir,
 	req->r_dentry = dget(dentry);
 	req->r_num_caps = 2;
 	req->r_parent = dir;
+	ihold(dir);
 	set_bit(CEPH_MDS_R_PARENT_LOCKED, &req->r_req_flags);
 	req->r_args.mkdir.mode = cpu_to_le32(mode);
 	req->r_dentry_drop = CEPH_CAP_FILE_SHARED | CEPH_CAP_AUTH_EXCL;
@@ -1037,6 +1042,7 @@ static int ceph_link(struct dentry *old_dentry, struct inode *dir,
 	req->r_num_caps = 2;
 	req->r_old_dentry = dget(old_dentry);
 	req->r_parent = dir;
+	ihold(dir);
 	set_bit(CEPH_MDS_R_PARENT_LOCKED, &req->r_req_flags);
 	req->r_dentry_drop = CEPH_CAP_FILE_SHARED;
 	req->r_dentry_unless = CEPH_CAP_FILE_EXCL;
@@ -1158,6 +1164,7 @@ static int ceph_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	req->r_dentry = dget(dentry);
 	req->r_num_caps = 2;
 	req->r_parent = dir;
+	ihold(dir);
 	req->r_dentry_drop = CEPH_CAP_FILE_SHARED;
 	req->r_dentry_unless = CEPH_CAP_FILE_EXCL;
 	req->r_inode_drop = ceph_drop_caps_for_unlink(inode);
@@ -1232,6 +1239,7 @@ static int ceph_rename(struct user_namespace *mnt_userns, struct inode *old_dir,
 	req->r_old_dentry = dget(old_dentry);
 	req->r_old_dentry_dir = old_dir;
 	req->r_parent = new_dir;
+	ihold(new_dir);
 	set_bit(CEPH_MDS_R_PARENT_LOCKED, &req->r_req_flags);
 	req->r_old_dentry_drop = CEPH_CAP_FILE_SHARED;
 	req->r_old_dentry_unless = CEPH_CAP_FILE_EXCL;
@@ -1728,6 +1736,7 @@ static int ceph_d_revalidate(struct dentry *dentry, unsigned int flags)
 			req->r_dentry = dget(dentry);
 			req->r_num_caps = 2;
 			req->r_parent = dir;
+			ihold(dir);
 
 			mask = CEPH_STAT_CAP_INODE | CEPH_CAP_AUTH_SHARED;
 			if (ceph_security_xattr_wanted(dir))
diff --git a/fs/ceph/export.c b/fs/ceph/export.c
index 65540a4429b26a..1d65934c12620e 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/export.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/export.c
@@ -542,6 +542,7 @@ static int ceph_get_name(struct dentry *parent, char *name,
 	ihold(inode);
 	req->r_ino2 = ceph_vino(d_inode(parent));
 	req->r_parent = d_inode(parent);
+	ihold(req->r_parent);
 	set_bit(CEPH_MDS_R_PARENT_LOCKED, &req->r_req_flags);
 	req->r_num_caps = 2;
 	err = ceph_mdsc_do_request(mdsc, NULL, req);
diff --git a/fs/ceph/file.c b/fs/ceph/file.c
index 707102f5cad989..d1755ac1d964aa 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/file.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/file.c
@@ -706,6 +706,7 @@ int ceph_atomic_open(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 		mask |= CEPH_CAP_XATTR_SHARED;
 	req->r_args.open.mask = cpu_to_le32(mask);
 	req->r_parent = dir;
+	ihold(dir);
 
 	if (flags & O_CREAT) {
 		struct ceph_file_layout lo;
diff --git a/fs/ceph/mds_client.c b/fs/ceph/mds_client.c
index f8a7fbf8198025..a818213c972fc0 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/mds_client.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/mds_client.c
@@ -2982,7 +2982,6 @@ int ceph_mdsc_submit_request(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc, struct inode *dir,
 		ceph_take_cap_refs(ci, CEPH_CAP_PIN, false);
 		__ceph_touch_fmode(ci, mdsc, fmode);
 		spin_unlock(&ci->i_ceph_lock);
-		ihold(req->r_parent);
 	}
 	if (req->r_old_dentry_dir)
 		ceph_get_cap_refs(ceph_inode(req->r_old_dentry_dir),