static void kernfs_release_file(struct kernfs_node *kn,
                                struct kernfs_open_file *of)
 {
-       if (!(kn->flags & KERNFS_HAS_RELEASE))
-               return;
+       /*
+        * @of is guaranteed to have no other file operations in flight and
+        * we just want to synchronize release and drain paths.
+        * @kernfs_open_file_mutex is enough.  @of->mutex can't be used
+        * here because drain path may be called from places which can
+        * cause circular dependency.
+        */
+       lockdep_assert_held(&kernfs_open_file_mutex);
 
-       mutex_lock(&of->mutex);
        if (!of->released) {
                /*
                 * A file is never detached without being released and we
                kn->attr.ops->release(of);
                of->released = true;
        }
-       mutex_unlock(&of->mutex);
 }
 
 static int kernfs_fop_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
        struct kernfs_node *kn = filp->f_path.dentry->d_fsdata;
        struct kernfs_open_file *of = kernfs_of(filp);
 
-       kernfs_release_file(kn, of);
+       if (kn->flags & KERNFS_HAS_RELEASE) {
+               mutex_lock(&kernfs_open_file_mutex);
+               kernfs_release_file(kn, of);
+               mutex_unlock(&kernfs_open_file_mutex);
+       }
+
        kernfs_put_open_node(kn, of);
        seq_release(inode, filp);
        kfree(of->prealloc_buf);