diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/util.c b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
index 4d75e1cdf0b9..af813e777379 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/util.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
@@ -191,7 +191,9 @@ enum ovl_path_type ovl_path_real(struct dentry *dentry, struct path *path)
 
 struct dentry *ovl_dentry_upper(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	return ovl_upperdentry_dereference(OVL_I(d_inode(dentry)));
+	struct inode *inode = d_inode(dentry);
+
+	return inode ? ovl_upperdentry_dereference(OVL_I(inode)) : NULL;
 }
 
 struct dentry *ovl_dentry_lower(struct dentry *dentry)