diff --git a/fs/kernfs/file.c b/fs/kernfs/file.c
index d140e7699983..cca9f83fc9b5 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/file.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/file.c
@@ -918,9 +918,12 @@ static loff_t kernfs_fop_llseek(struct file *file, loff_t offset, int whence)
 
 static void kernfs_notify_workfn(struct work_struct *work)
 {
-	struct kernfs_node *kn;
+	char name_buf[NAME_MAX + 1];
 	struct kernfs_super_info *info;
+	struct kernfs_node *kn;
 	struct kernfs_root *root;
+	struct qstr name;
+	bool have_name;
 repeat:
 	/* pop one off the notify_list */
 	spin_lock_irq(&kernfs_notify_lock);
@@ -936,14 +939,20 @@ static void kernfs_notify_workfn(struct work_struct *work)
 	root = kernfs_root(kn);
 	/* kick fsnotify */
 
+	/*
+	 * Sample the name once so kernfs_rwsem need not be held across the
+	 * loop.  A name that does not fit is reported without one; fsnotify()
+	 * takes the name as optional, so a watcher loses the name and not the
+	 * event.
+	 */
+	have_name = kernfs_name(kn, name_buf, sizeof(name_buf)) >= 0;
+	name = QSTR(name_buf);
+
 	down_read(&root->kernfs_supers_rwsem);
-	down_read(&root->kernfs_rwsem);
-	list_for_each_entry(info, &kernfs_root(kn)->supers, node) {
+	list_for_each_entry(info, &root->supers, node) {
 		struct kernfs_node *parent;
 		struct inode *p_inode = NULL;
-		const char *kn_name;
 		struct inode *inode;
-		struct qstr name;
 
 		/*
 		 * We want fsnotify_modify() on @kn but as the
@@ -955,15 +964,14 @@ static void kernfs_notify_workfn(struct work_struct *work)
 		if (!inode)
 			continue;
 
-		kn_name = kernfs_rcu_name(kn);
-		name = QSTR(kn_name);
 		parent = kernfs_get_parent(kn);
 		if (parent) {
 			p_inode = ilookup(info->sb, kernfs_ino(parent));
 			if (p_inode) {
 				fsnotify(FS_MODIFY | FS_EVENT_ON_CHILD,
 					 inode, FSNOTIFY_EVENT_INODE,
-					 p_inode, &name, inode, 0);
+					 p_inode, have_name ? &name : NULL,
+					 inode, 0);
 				iput(p_inode);
 			}
 
@@ -976,7 +984,6 @@ static void kernfs_notify_workfn(struct work_struct *work)
 		iput(inode);
 	}
 
-	up_read(&root->kernfs_rwsem);
 	up_read(&root->kernfs_supers_rwsem);
 	kernfs_put(kn);
 	goto repeat;