pipe->ops->release_pipe(inode);
        cancel_delayed_work_sync(&pipe->queue_timeout);
        rpc_inode_setowner(inode, NULL);
+       RPC_I(inode)->pipe = NULL;
        mutex_unlock(&inode->i_mutex);
 }
 
 static int
 rpc_pipe_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 {
-       struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+       struct rpc_pipe *pipe;
        int first_open;
        int res = -ENXIO;
 
        mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
-       if (pipe->dentry == NULL)
+       pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+       if (pipe == NULL)
                goto out;
        first_open = pipe->nreaders == 0 && pipe->nwriters == 0;
        if (first_open && pipe->ops->open_pipe) {
 static int
 rpc_pipe_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 {
-       struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+       struct rpc_pipe *pipe;
        struct rpc_pipe_msg *msg;
        int last_close;
 
        mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
-       if (pipe->dentry == NULL)
+       pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+       if (pipe == NULL)
                goto out;
        msg = filp->private_data;
        if (msg != NULL) {
 rpc_pipe_read(struct file *filp, char __user *buf, size_t len, loff_t *offset)
 {
        struct inode *inode = filp->f_path.dentry->d_inode;
-       struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+       struct rpc_pipe *pipe;
        struct rpc_pipe_msg *msg;
        int res = 0;
 
        mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
-       if (pipe->dentry == NULL) {
+       pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+       if (pipe == NULL) {
                res = -EPIPE;
                goto out_unlock;
        }
 rpc_pipe_write(struct file *filp, const char __user *buf, size_t len, loff_t *offset)
 {
        struct inode *inode = filp->f_path.dentry->d_inode;
-       struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
        int res;
 
        mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
        res = -EPIPE;
-       if (pipe->dentry != NULL)
-               res = pipe->ops->downcall(filp, buf, len);
+       if (RPC_I(inode)->pipe != NULL)
+               res = RPC_I(inode)->pipe->ops->downcall(filp, buf, len);
        mutex_unlock(&inode->i_mutex);
        return res;
 }
 rpc_pipe_ioctl(struct file *filp, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 {
        struct inode *inode = filp->f_path.dentry->d_inode;
-       struct rpc_pipe *pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+       struct rpc_pipe *pipe;
        int len;
 
        switch (cmd) {
        case FIONREAD:
-               spin_lock(&pipe->lock);
-               if (pipe->dentry == NULL) {
-                       spin_unlock(&pipe->lock);
+               mutex_lock(&inode->i_mutex);
+               pipe = RPC_I(inode)->pipe;
+               if (pipe == NULL) {
+                       mutex_unlock(&inode->i_mutex);
                        return -EPIPE;
                }
+               spin_lock(&pipe->lock);
                len = pipe->pipelen;
                if (filp->private_data) {
                        struct rpc_pipe_msg *msg;
                        len += msg->len - msg->copied;
                }
                spin_unlock(&pipe->lock);
+               mutex_unlock(&inode->i_mutex);
                return put_user(len, (int __user *)arg);
        default:
                return -EINVAL;