list_add(&zhdr->buddy, &pool->stale);
        queue_work(pool->release_wq, &pool->work);
        spin_unlock(&pool->stale_lock);
+
+       atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
 }
 
 static void release_z3fold_page(struct kref *ref)
        return new_zhdr;
 
 out_fail:
-       if (new_zhdr) {
-               if (kref_put(&new_zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked))
-                       atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
-               else {
-                       add_to_unbuddied(pool, new_zhdr);
-                       z3fold_page_unlock(new_zhdr);
-               }
+       if (new_zhdr && !kref_put(&new_zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked)) {
+               add_to_unbuddied(pool, new_zhdr);
+               z3fold_page_unlock(new_zhdr);
        }
        return NULL;
 
        list_del_init(&zhdr->buddy);
        spin_unlock(&pool->lock);
 
-       if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked)) {
-               atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
+       if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked))
                return;
-       }
 
        if (test_bit(PAGE_STALE, &page->private) ||
            test_and_set_bit(PAGE_CLAIMED, &page->private)) {
 
        if (!zhdr->foreign_handles && buddy_single(zhdr) &&
            zhdr->mapped_count == 0 && compact_single_buddy(zhdr)) {
-               if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked))
-                       atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
-               else {
+               if (!kref_put(&zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked)) {
                        clear_bit(PAGE_CLAIMED, &page->private);
                        z3fold_page_unlock(zhdr);
                }
                if (zhdr) {
                        bud = get_free_buddy(zhdr, chunks);
                        if (bud == HEADLESS) {
-                               if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount,
+                               if (!kref_put(&zhdr->refcount,
                                             release_z3fold_page_locked))
-                                       atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
-                               else
                                        z3fold_page_unlock(zhdr);
                                pr_err("No free chunks in unbuddied\n");
                                WARN_ON(1);
 
        if (!page_claimed)
                free_handle(handle, zhdr);
-       if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked_list)) {
-               atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
+       if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked_list))
                return;
-       }
        if (page_claimed) {
                /* the page has not been claimed by us */
                put_z3fold_header(zhdr);
                                break;
                        }
                        if (!z3fold_page_trylock(zhdr)) {
-                               if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount,
-                                               release_z3fold_page))
-                                       atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
+                               kref_put(&zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page);
                                zhdr = NULL;
                                continue; /* can't evict at this point */
                        }
                         */
                        if (zhdr->foreign_handles ||
                            test_and_set_bit(PAGE_CLAIMED, &page->private)) {
-                               if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount,
+                               if (!kref_put(&zhdr->refcount,
                                                release_z3fold_page_locked))
-                                       atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
-                               else
                                        z3fold_page_unlock(zhdr);
                                zhdr = NULL;
                                continue; /* can't evict such page */
                        if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount,
                                        release_z3fold_page_locked)) {
                                kmem_cache_free(pool->c_handle, slots);
-                               atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
                                return 0;
                        }
                        /*
        if (!list_empty(&zhdr->buddy))
                list_del_init(&zhdr->buddy);
        INIT_LIST_HEAD(&page->lru);
-       if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked)) {
-               atomic64_dec(&pool->pages_nr);
+       if (kref_put(&zhdr->refcount, release_z3fold_page_locked))
                return;
-       }
        spin_lock(&pool->lock);
        list_add(&page->lru, &pool->lru);
        spin_unlock(&pool->lock);