return -EINVAL;
        }
 
+       /*
+        * Ensure that no racing symlink() will make detach_prep() fail while
+        * the new link is temporarily attached
+        */
+       mutex_lock(&configfs_symlink_mutex);
        spin_lock(&configfs_dirent_lock);
        do {
                struct mutex *wait_mutex;
                if (ret) {
                        configfs_detach_rollback(dentry);
                        spin_unlock(&configfs_dirent_lock);
+                       mutex_unlock(&configfs_symlink_mutex);
                        if (ret != -EAGAIN) {
                                config_item_put(parent_item);
                                return ret;
                        mutex_lock(wait_mutex);
                        mutex_unlock(wait_mutex);
 
+                       mutex_lock(&configfs_symlink_mutex);
                        spin_lock(&configfs_dirent_lock);
                }
        } while (ret == -EAGAIN);
        spin_unlock(&configfs_dirent_lock);
+       mutex_unlock(&configfs_symlink_mutex);
 
        /* Get a working ref for the duration of this function */
        item = configfs_get_config_item(dentry);
        mutex_lock_nested(&configfs_sb->s_root->d_inode->i_mutex,
                          I_MUTEX_PARENT);
        mutex_lock_nested(&dentry->d_inode->i_mutex, I_MUTEX_CHILD);
+       mutex_lock(&configfs_symlink_mutex);
        spin_lock(&configfs_dirent_lock);
        if (configfs_detach_prep(dentry, NULL)) {
                printk(KERN_ERR "configfs: Tried to unregister non-empty subsystem!\n");
        }
        spin_unlock(&configfs_dirent_lock);
+       mutex_unlock(&configfs_symlink_mutex);
        configfs_detach_group(&group->cg_item);
        dentry->d_inode->i_flags |= S_DEAD;
        mutex_unlock(&dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
 
 #include <linux/configfs.h>
 #include "configfs_internal.h"
 
+/* Protects attachments of new symlinks */
+DEFINE_MUTEX(configfs_symlink_mutex);
+
 static int item_depth(struct config_item * item)
 {
        struct config_item * p = item;
 
        ret = type->ct_item_ops->allow_link(parent_item, target_item);
        if (!ret) {
+               mutex_lock(&configfs_symlink_mutex);
                ret = create_link(parent_item, target_item, dentry);
+               mutex_unlock(&configfs_symlink_mutex);
                if (ret && type->ct_item_ops->drop_link)
                        type->ct_item_ops->drop_link(parent_item,
                                                     target_item);