spin_lock(&head->coh_lock_guard);
                        ghost = cl_lock_lookup(env, obj, io, need);
                        if (ghost == NULL) {
+                               cl_lock_get_trust(lock);
                                list_add_tail(&lock->cll_linkage,
                                                  &head->coh_locks);
                                spin_unlock(&head->coh_lock_guard);
        LINVRNT(cl_lock_invariant(env, lock));
 
        if (lock->cll_state < CLS_FREEING) {
+               bool in_cache;
+
                LASSERT(lock->cll_state != CLS_INTRANSIT);
                cl_lock_state_set(env, lock, CLS_FREEING);
 
                head = cl_object_header(lock->cll_descr.cld_obj);
 
                spin_lock(&head->coh_lock_guard);
-               list_del_init(&lock->cll_linkage);
+               in_cache = !list_empty(&lock->cll_linkage);
+               if (in_cache)
+                       list_del_init(&lock->cll_linkage);
                spin_unlock(&head->coh_lock_guard);
 
+               if (in_cache) /* coh_locks cache holds a refcount. */
+                       cl_lock_put(env, lock);
+
                /*
                 * From now on, no new references to this lock can be acquired
                 * by cl_lock_lookup().