diff --git a/fs/9p/vfs_inode.c b/fs/9p/vfs_inode.c
index 97abe65bf7c1..e4b15ebba3aa 100644
--- a/fs/9p/vfs_inode.c
+++ b/fs/9p/vfs_inode.c
@@ -672,27 +672,20 @@ v9fs_vfs_create(struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
 static struct dentry *v9fs_vfs_mkdir(struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
 				     struct dentry *dentry, umode_t mode)
 {
-	int err;
 	u32 perm;
 	struct p9_fid *fid;
 	struct v9fs_session_info *v9ses;
 
 	p9_debug(P9_DEBUG_VFS, "name %pd\n", dentry);
-	err = 0;
 	v9ses = v9fs_inode2v9ses(dir);
 	perm = unixmode2p9mode(v9ses, mode | S_IFDIR);
 	fid = v9fs_create(v9ses, dir, dentry, NULL, perm, P9_OREAD);
-	if (IS_ERR(fid)) {
-		err = PTR_ERR(fid);
-		fid = NULL;
-	} else {
-		inc_nlink(dir);
-		v9fs_invalidate_inode_attr(dir);
-	}
-
-	if (fid)
-		p9_fid_put(fid);
-	return ERR_PTR(err);
+	if (IS_ERR(fid))
+		return ERR_CAST(fid);
+	inc_nlink(dir);
+	v9fs_invalidate_inode_attr(dir);
+	p9_fid_put(fid);
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/fs/9p/vfs_inode_dotl.c b/fs/9p/vfs_inode_dotl.c
index 643e759eacb2..fae324681ff3 100644
--- a/fs/9p/vfs_inode_dotl.c
+++ b/fs/9p/vfs_inode_dotl.c
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ static struct dentry *v9fs_vfs_mkdir_dotl(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 					  struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 					  umode_t omode)
 {
-	int err;
+	int err = 0;
 	struct v9fs_session_info *v9ses;
 	struct p9_fid *fid = NULL, *dfid = NULL;
 	kgid_t gid;
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ static struct dentry *v9fs_vfs_mkdir_dotl(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 	p9_fid_put(fid);
 	v9fs_put_acl(dacl, pacl);
 	p9_fid_put(dfid);
-	return ERR_PTR(err);
+	return err ? ERR_PTR(err) : NULL;
 }
 
 static int