int flag)
 {
        struct super_block *sb = old->mnt.mnt_sb;
-       struct mount *mnt = alloc_vfsmnt(old->mnt_devname);
+       struct mount *mnt;
+       int err;
 
-       if (mnt) {
-               if (flag & (CL_SLAVE | CL_PRIVATE))
-                       mnt->mnt_group_id = 0; /* not a peer of original */
-               else
-                       mnt->mnt_group_id = old->mnt_group_id;
-
-               if ((flag & CL_MAKE_SHARED) && !mnt->mnt_group_id) {
-                       int err = mnt_alloc_group_id(mnt);
-                       if (err)
-                               goto out_free;
-               }
+       mnt = alloc_vfsmnt(old->mnt_devname);
+       if (!mnt)
+               return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
-               mnt->mnt.mnt_flags = old->mnt.mnt_flags & ~MNT_WRITE_HOLD;
-               atomic_inc(&sb->s_active);
-               mnt->mnt.mnt_sb = sb;
-               mnt->mnt.mnt_root = dget(root);
-               mnt->mnt_mountpoint = mnt->mnt.mnt_root;
-               mnt->mnt_parent = mnt;
-               br_write_lock(&vfsmount_lock);
-               list_add_tail(&mnt->mnt_instance, &sb->s_mounts);
-               br_write_unlock(&vfsmount_lock);
+       if (flag & (CL_SLAVE | CL_PRIVATE))
+               mnt->mnt_group_id = 0; /* not a peer of original */
+       else
+               mnt->mnt_group_id = old->mnt_group_id;
 
-               if (flag & CL_SLAVE) {
-                       list_add(&mnt->mnt_slave, &old->mnt_slave_list);
-                       mnt->mnt_master = old;
-                       CLEAR_MNT_SHARED(mnt);
-               } else if (!(flag & CL_PRIVATE)) {
-                       if ((flag & CL_MAKE_SHARED) || IS_MNT_SHARED(old))
-                               list_add(&mnt->mnt_share, &old->mnt_share);
-                       if (IS_MNT_SLAVE(old))
-                               list_add(&mnt->mnt_slave, &old->mnt_slave);
-                       mnt->mnt_master = old->mnt_master;
-               }
-               if (flag & CL_MAKE_SHARED)
-                       set_mnt_shared(mnt);
-
-               /* stick the duplicate mount on the same expiry list
-                * as the original if that was on one */
-               if (flag & CL_EXPIRE) {
-                       if (!list_empty(&old->mnt_expire))
-                               list_add(&mnt->mnt_expire, &old->mnt_expire);
-               }
+       if ((flag & CL_MAKE_SHARED) && !mnt->mnt_group_id) {
+               err = mnt_alloc_group_id(mnt);
+               if (err)
+                       goto out_free;
+       }
+
+       mnt->mnt.mnt_flags = old->mnt.mnt_flags & ~MNT_WRITE_HOLD;
+       atomic_inc(&sb->s_active);
+       mnt->mnt.mnt_sb = sb;
+       mnt->mnt.mnt_root = dget(root);
+       mnt->mnt_mountpoint = mnt->mnt.mnt_root;
+       mnt->mnt_parent = mnt;
+       br_write_lock(&vfsmount_lock);
+       list_add_tail(&mnt->mnt_instance, &sb->s_mounts);
+       br_write_unlock(&vfsmount_lock);
+
+       if (flag & CL_SLAVE) {
+               list_add(&mnt->mnt_slave, &old->mnt_slave_list);
+               mnt->mnt_master = old;
+               CLEAR_MNT_SHARED(mnt);
+       } else if (!(flag & CL_PRIVATE)) {
+               if ((flag & CL_MAKE_SHARED) || IS_MNT_SHARED(old))
+                       list_add(&mnt->mnt_share, &old->mnt_share);
+               if (IS_MNT_SLAVE(old))
+                       list_add(&mnt->mnt_slave, &old->mnt_slave);
+               mnt->mnt_master = old->mnt_master;
+       }
+       if (flag & CL_MAKE_SHARED)
+               set_mnt_shared(mnt);
+
+       /* stick the duplicate mount on the same expiry list
+        * as the original if that was on one */
+       if (flag & CL_EXPIRE) {
+               if (!list_empty(&old->mnt_expire))
+                       list_add(&mnt->mnt_expire, &old->mnt_expire);
        }
+
        return mnt;
 
  out_free:
        free_vfsmnt(mnt);
-       return NULL;
+       return ERR_PTR(err);
 }
 
 static inline void mntfree(struct mount *mnt)
        struct path path;
 
        if (!(flag & CL_COPY_ALL) && IS_MNT_UNBINDABLE(mnt))
-               return NULL;
+               return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
        res = q = clone_mnt(mnt, dentry, flag);
-       if (!q)
-               goto Enomem;
+       if (IS_ERR(q))
+               return q;
+
        q->mnt_mountpoint = mnt->mnt_mountpoint;
 
        p = mnt;
                        path.mnt = &q->mnt;
                        path.dentry = p->mnt_mountpoint;
                        q = clone_mnt(p, p->mnt.mnt_root, flag);
-                       if (!q)
-                               goto Enomem;
+                       if (IS_ERR(q))
+                               goto out;
                        br_write_lock(&vfsmount_lock);
                        list_add_tail(&q->mnt_list, &res->mnt_list);
                        attach_mnt(q, &path);
                }
        }
        return res;
-Enomem:
+out:
        if (res) {
                LIST_HEAD(umount_list);
                br_write_lock(&vfsmount_lock);
                br_write_unlock(&vfsmount_lock);
                release_mounts(&umount_list);
        }
-       return NULL;
+       return q;
 }
 
+/* Caller should check returned pointer for errors */
+
 struct vfsmount *collect_mounts(struct path *path)
 {
        struct mount *tree;
        tree = copy_tree(real_mount(path->mnt), path->dentry,
                         CL_COPY_ALL | CL_PRIVATE);
        up_write(&namespace_sem);
-       return tree ? &tree->mnt : NULL;
+       if (IS_ERR(tree))
+               return NULL;
+       return &tree->mnt;
 }
 
 void drop_collected_mounts(struct vfsmount *mnt)
        if (!check_mnt(real_mount(path->mnt)) || !check_mnt(old))
                goto out2;
 
-       err = -ENOMEM;
        if (recurse)
                mnt = copy_tree(old, old_path.dentry, 0);
        else
                mnt = clone_mnt(old, old_path.dentry, 0);
 
-       if (!mnt)
-               goto out2;
+       if (IS_ERR(mnt)) {
+               err = PTR_ERR(mnt);
+               goto out;
+       }
 
        err = graft_tree(mnt, path);
        if (err) {
        down_write(&namespace_sem);
        /* First pass: copy the tree topology */
        new = copy_tree(old, old->mnt.mnt_root, CL_COPY_ALL | CL_EXPIRE);
-       if (!new) {
+       if (IS_ERR(new)) {
                up_write(&namespace_sem);
                kfree(new_ns);
-               return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+               return ERR_CAST(new);
        }
        new_ns->root = new;
        br_write_lock(&vfsmount_lock);