eh = ext_inode_hdr(inode);
        depth = ext_depth(inode);
 
-       /* account possible depth increase */
-       if (!path) {
+       if (path)
+               ext4_ext_drop_refs(path);
+       else {
+               /* account possible depth increase */
                path = kzalloc(sizeof(struct ext4_ext_path) * (depth + 2),
                                GFP_NOFS);
                if (unlikely(!path))
                        goto out;
 
                /* refill path */
-               ext4_ext_drop_refs(path);
                path = ext4_ext_find_extent(inode,
                                    (ext4_lblk_t)le32_to_cpu(newext->ee_block),
                                    ppath, gb_flags);
                        goto out;
 
                /* refill path */
-               ext4_ext_drop_refs(path);
                path = ext4_ext_find_extent(inode,
                                   (ext4_lblk_t)le32_to_cpu(newext->ee_block),
                                    ppath, gb_flags);
         * Update path is required because previous ext4_split_extent_at() may
         * result in split of original leaf or extent zeroout.
         */
-       ext4_ext_drop_refs(path);
        path = ext4_ext_find_extent(inode, map->m_lblk, ppath, 0);
        if (IS_ERR(path))
                return PTR_ERR(path);
                                                 EXT4_GET_BLOCKS_CONVERT);
                if (err < 0)
                        return err;
-               ext4_ext_drop_refs(path);
                path = ext4_ext_find_extent(inode, map->m_lblk, ppath, 0);
                if (IS_ERR(path))
                        return PTR_ERR(path);
                                EXT4_GET_BLOCKS_CONVERT_UNWRITTEN);
                if (err < 0)
                        return err;
-               ext4_ext_drop_refs(path);
                path = ext4_ext_find_extent(inode, map->m_lblk, ppath, 0);
                if (IS_ERR(path))
                        return PTR_ERR(path);