diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
index d485bd7edd8f..fef873d18b2d 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
@@ -523,7 +523,6 @@ static int ovl_create_index(struct dentry *dentry, const struct ovl_fh *fh,
 {
 	struct ovl_fs *ofs = OVL_FS(dentry->d_sb);
 	struct dentry *indexdir = ovl_indexdir(dentry->d_sb);
-	struct inode *dir = d_inode(indexdir);
 	struct dentry *index = NULL;
 	struct dentry *temp = NULL;
 	struct qstr name = { };
@@ -548,9 +547,7 @@ static int ovl_create_index(struct dentry *dentry, const struct ovl_fh *fh,
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
-	inode_lock(dir);
 	temp = ovl_create_temp(ofs, indexdir, OVL_CATTR(S_IFDIR | 0));
-	inode_unlock(dir);
 	err = PTR_ERR(temp);
 	if (IS_ERR(temp))
 		goto free_name;
@@ -766,7 +763,6 @@ static int ovl_copy_up_workdir(struct ovl_copy_up_ctx *c)
 {
 	struct ovl_fs *ofs = OVL_FS(c->dentry->d_sb);
 	struct inode *inode;
-	struct inode *wdir = d_inode(c->workdir);
 	struct path path = { .mnt = ovl_upper_mnt(ofs) };
 	struct dentry *temp, *upper, *trap;
 	struct ovl_cu_creds cc;
@@ -783,9 +779,7 @@ static int ovl_copy_up_workdir(struct ovl_copy_up_ctx *c)
 		return err;
 
 	ovl_start_write(c->dentry);
-	inode_lock(wdir);
 	temp = ovl_create_temp(ofs, c->workdir, &cattr);
-	inode_unlock(wdir);
 	ovl_end_write(c->dentry);
 	ovl_revert_cu_creds(&cc);
 
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/dir.c b/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
index 67cad3dba8ad..373335e420fd 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
@@ -214,8 +214,12 @@ struct dentry *ovl_create_real(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct inode *dir,
 struct dentry *ovl_create_temp(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *workdir,
 			       struct ovl_cattr *attr)
 {
-	return ovl_create_real(ofs, d_inode(workdir),
-			       ovl_lookup_temp(ofs, workdir), attr);
+	struct dentry *ret;
+	inode_lock(workdir->d_inode);
+	ret = ovl_create_real(ofs, d_inode(workdir),
+			      ovl_lookup_temp(ofs, workdir), attr);
+	inode_unlock(workdir->d_inode);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int ovl_set_opaque_xerr(struct dentry *dentry, struct dentry *upper,
@@ -353,7 +357,6 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_clear_empty(struct dentry *dentry,
 	struct dentry *workdir = ovl_workdir(dentry);
 	struct inode *wdir = workdir->d_inode;
 	struct dentry *upperdir = ovl_dentry_upper(dentry->d_parent);
-	struct inode *udir = upperdir->d_inode;
 	struct path upperpath;
 	struct dentry *upper;
 	struct dentry *opaquedir;
@@ -363,27 +366,25 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_clear_empty(struct dentry *dentry,
 	if (WARN_ON(!workdir))
 		return ERR_PTR(-EROFS);
 
-	err = ovl_lock_rename_workdir(workdir, upperdir);
-	if (err)
-		goto out;
-
 	ovl_path_upper(dentry, &upperpath);
 	err = vfs_getattr(&upperpath, &stat,
 			  STATX_BASIC_STATS, AT_STATX_SYNC_AS_STAT);
 	if (err)
-		goto out_unlock;
+		goto out;
 
 	err = -ESTALE;
 	if (!S_ISDIR(stat.mode))
-		goto out_unlock;
+		goto out;
 	upper = upperpath.dentry;
-	if (upper->d_parent->d_inode != udir)
-		goto out_unlock;
 
 	opaquedir = ovl_create_temp(ofs, workdir, OVL_CATTR(stat.mode));
 	err = PTR_ERR(opaquedir);
 	if (IS_ERR(opaquedir))
-		goto out_unlock;
+		goto out;
+
+	err = ovl_lock_rename_workdir(workdir, opaquedir, upperdir, upper);
+	if (err)
+		goto out_cleanup_unlocked;
 
 	err = ovl_copy_xattr(dentry->d_sb, &upperpath, opaquedir);
 	if (err)
@@ -413,10 +414,10 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_clear_empty(struct dentry *dentry,
 	return opaquedir;
 
 out_cleanup:
-	ovl_cleanup(ofs, wdir, opaquedir);
-	dput(opaquedir);
-out_unlock:
 	unlock_rename(workdir, upperdir);
+out_cleanup_unlocked:
+	ovl_cleanup_unlocked(ofs, workdir, opaquedir);
+	dput(opaquedir);
 out:
 	return ERR_PTR(err);
 }
@@ -454,15 +455,11 @@ static int ovl_create_over_whiteout(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode,
 			return err;
 	}
 
-	err = ovl_lock_rename_workdir(workdir, upperdir);
-	if (err)
-		goto out;
-
-	upper = ovl_lookup_upper(ofs, dentry->d_name.name, upperdir,
-				 dentry->d_name.len);
+	upper = ovl_lookup_upper_unlocked(ofs, dentry->d_name.name, upperdir,
+					  dentry->d_name.len);
 	err = PTR_ERR(upper);
 	if (IS_ERR(upper))
-		goto out_unlock;
+		goto out;
 
 	err = -ESTALE;
 	if (d_is_negative(upper) || !ovl_upper_is_whiteout(ofs, upper))
@@ -473,6 +470,10 @@ static int ovl_create_over_whiteout(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode,
 	if (IS_ERR(newdentry))
 		goto out_dput;
 
+	err = ovl_lock_rename_workdir(workdir, newdentry, upperdir, upper);
+	if (err)
+		goto out_cleanup_unlocked;
+
 	/*
 	 * mode could have been mutilated due to umask (e.g. sgid directory)
 	 */
@@ -523,10 +524,9 @@ static int ovl_create_over_whiteout(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode,
 		ovl_cleanup(ofs, udir, newdentry);
 		dput(newdentry);
 	}
+	unlock_rename(workdir, upperdir);
 out_dput:
 	dput(upper);
-out_unlock:
-	unlock_rename(workdir, upperdir);
 out:
 	if (!hardlink) {
 		posix_acl_release(acl);
@@ -535,7 +535,9 @@ static int ovl_create_over_whiteout(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode,
 	return err;
 
 out_cleanup:
-	ovl_cleanup(ofs, wdir, newdentry);
+	unlock_rename(workdir, upperdir);
+out_cleanup_unlocked:
+	ovl_cleanup_unlocked(ofs, workdir, newdentry);
 	dput(newdentry);
 	goto out_dput;
 }
@@ -772,7 +774,7 @@ static int ovl_remove_and_whiteout(struct dentry *dentry,
 			goto out;
 	}
 
-	err = ovl_lock_rename_workdir(workdir, upperdir);
+	err = ovl_lock_rename_workdir(workdir, NULL, upperdir, NULL);
 	if (err)
 		goto out_dput;
 
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
index a8f18a06a19e..002019b40af3 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
@@ -405,6 +405,15 @@ static inline struct dentry *ovl_lookup_upper(struct ovl_fs *ofs,
 	return lookup_one(ovl_upper_mnt_idmap(ofs), &QSTR_LEN(name, len), base);
 }
 
+static inline struct dentry *ovl_lookup_upper_unlocked(struct ovl_fs *ofs,
+						       const char *name,
+						       struct dentry *base,
+						       int len)
+{
+	return lookup_one_unlocked(ovl_upper_mnt_idmap(ofs),
+				   &QSTR_LEN(name, len), base);
+}
+
 static inline bool ovl_open_flags_need_copy_up(int flags)
 {
 	if (!flags)
@@ -544,7 +553,8 @@ bool ovl_is_inuse(struct dentry *dentry);
 bool ovl_need_index(struct dentry *dentry);
 int ovl_nlink_start(struct dentry *dentry);
 void ovl_nlink_end(struct dentry *dentry);
-int ovl_lock_rename_workdir(struct dentry *workdir, struct dentry *upperdir);
+int ovl_lock_rename_workdir(struct dentry *workdir, struct dentry *work,
+			    struct dentry *upperdir, struct dentry *upper);
 int ovl_check_metacopy_xattr(struct ovl_fs *ofs, const struct path *path,
 			     struct ovl_metacopy *data);
 int ovl_set_metacopy_xattr(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *d,
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/super.c b/fs/overlayfs/super.c
index cf99b276fdfb..2e6b25bde83f 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/super.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/super.c
@@ -564,13 +564,16 @@ static int ovl_check_rename_whiteout(struct ovl_fs *ofs)
 	struct name_snapshot name;
 	int err;
 
-	inode_lock_nested(dir, I_MUTEX_PARENT);
-
 	temp = ovl_create_temp(ofs, workdir, OVL_CATTR(S_IFREG | 0));
 	err = PTR_ERR(temp);
 	if (IS_ERR(temp))
-		goto out_unlock;
+		return err;
 
+	err = ovl_parent_lock(workdir, temp);
+	if (err) {
+		dput(temp);
+		return err;
+	}
 	dest = ovl_lookup_temp(ofs, workdir);
 	err = PTR_ERR(dest);
 	if (IS_ERR(dest)) {
@@ -606,7 +609,7 @@ static int ovl_check_rename_whiteout(struct ovl_fs *ofs)
 	dput(dest);
 
 out_unlock:
-	inode_unlock(dir);
+	ovl_parent_unlock(workdir);
 
 	return err;
 }
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/util.c b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
index 130aba055ffe..c25c86e0f4da 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/util.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
@@ -1227,7 +1227,8 @@ void ovl_nlink_end(struct dentry *dentry)
 	ovl_inode_unlock(inode);
 }
 
-int ovl_lock_rename_workdir(struct dentry *workdir, struct dentry *upperdir)
+int ovl_lock_rename_workdir(struct dentry *workdir, struct dentry *work,
+			    struct dentry *upperdir, struct dentry *upper)
 {
 	struct dentry *trap;
 
@@ -1241,6 +1242,10 @@ int ovl_lock_rename_workdir(struct dentry *workdir, struct dentry *upperdir)
 		goto err;
 	if (trap)
 		goto err_unlock;
+	if (work && work->d_parent != workdir)
+		goto err_unlock;
+	if (upper && upper->d_parent != upperdir)
+		goto err_unlock;
 
 	return 0;