}
 }
 
+static struct nfs_delegation *nfs_get_delegation(struct nfs_delegation *delegation)
+{
+       refcount_inc(&delegation->refcount);
+       return delegation;
+}
+
+static void nfs_put_delegation(struct nfs_delegation *delegation)
+{
+       if (refcount_dec_and_test(&delegation->refcount))
+               __nfs_free_delegation(delegation);
+}
+
 static void nfs_free_delegation(struct nfs_delegation *delegation)
 {
        nfs_mark_delegation_revoked(delegation);
-       __nfs_free_delegation(delegation);
+       nfs_put_delegation(delegation);
 }
 
 /**
        if (delegation == NULL)
                goto out;
        spin_lock(&delegation->lock);
-       if (!test_and_set_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURNING, &delegation->flags))
-               ret = delegation;
+       if (!test_and_set_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURNING, &delegation->flags)) {
+               /* Refcount matched in nfs_end_delegation_return() */
+               ret = nfs_get_delegation(delegation);
+       }
        spin_unlock(&delegation->lock);
        if (ret)
                nfs_clear_verifier_delegated(&nfsi->vfs_inode);
        if (delegation == NULL)
                return -ENOMEM;
        nfs4_stateid_copy(&delegation->stateid, stateid);
+       refcount_set(&delegation->refcount, 1);
        delegation->type = type;
        delegation->pagemod_limit = pagemod_limit;
        delegation->change_attr = inode_peek_iversion_raw(inode);
 
        err = nfs_do_return_delegation(inode, delegation, issync);
 out:
+       /* Refcount matched in nfs_start_delegation_return_locked() */
+       nfs_put_delegation(delegation);
        return err;
 }
 
                    list_empty(&NFS_I(inode)->open_files) &&
                    !test_and_set_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURNING, &delegation->flags)) {
                        clear_bit(NFS_DELEGATION_RETURN_IF_CLOSED, &delegation->flags);
-                       ret = delegation;
+                       /* Refcount matched in nfs_end_delegation_return() */
+                       ret = nfs_get_delegation(delegation);
                }
                spin_unlock(&delegation->lock);
                if (ret)
                        delegation = nfs_start_delegation_return_locked(NFS_I(inode));
                        rcu_read_unlock();
                        if (delegation != NULL) {
-                               delegation = nfs_detach_delegation(NFS_I(inode),
-                                       delegation, server);
-                               if (delegation != NULL)
+                               if (nfs_detach_delegation(NFS_I(inode), delegation,
+                                                       server) != NULL)
                                        nfs_free_delegation(delegation);
+                               /* Match nfs_start_delegation_return_locked */
+                               nfs_put_delegation(delegation);
                        }
                        iput(inode);
                        nfs_sb_deactive(server->super);