inode = path->dentry->d_inode;
                }
-               error = -ENOENT;
-               if (!inode) {
-                       path_to_nameidata(path, nd);
-                       goto exit;
-               }
-
-               if (should_follow_link(inode, !symlink_ok)) {
-                       if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
-                               if (unlikely(unlazy_walk(nd, path->dentry))) {
-                                       error = -ECHILD;
-                                       goto exit;
-                               }
-                       }
-                       BUG_ON(inode != path->dentry->d_inode);
-                       return NULL;
-               }
-               path_to_nameidata(path, nd);
-               nd->inode = inode;
-
-               /* sayonara */
-               error = complete_walk(nd);
-               if (error)
-                       return ERR_PTR(error);
-
-               error = -ENOTDIR;
-               if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_DIRECTORY) {
-                       if (!nd->inode->i_op->lookup)
-                               goto exit;
-               }
-               audit_inode(pathname, nd->path.dentry);
-               goto ok;
+               goto finish_lookup;
        }
 
        /* create side of things */
 
        BUG_ON(nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU);
        inode = path->dentry->d_inode;
+finish_lookup:
+       /* we _can_ be in RCU mode here */
        error = -ENOENT;
        if (!inode) {
                path_to_nameidata(path, nd);