diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index 1ecd96c918b3..8d4009cfbf5b 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -4193,8 +4193,7 @@ static void dec_mnt_namespaces(struct ucounts *ucounts)
 
 static void free_mnt_ns(struct mnt_namespace *ns)
 {
-	if (!is_anon_ns(ns))
-		ns_common_free(ns);
+	ns_common_free(ns);
 	dec_mnt_namespaces(ns->ucounts);
 	mnt_ns_tree_remove(ns);
 }
diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/nsfs.h b/include/uapi/linux/nsfs.h
index 007fed5971b4..e5909266ec3f 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/nsfs.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/nsfs.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ enum init_ns_ino {
 	MNT_NS_INIT_INO		= 0xEFFFFFF8U,
 #ifdef __KERNEL__
 	MNT_NS_ANON_INO		= 0xEFFFFFF7U,
+	MNT_NS_INO_SPECIAL_MAX	= MNT_NS_ANON_INO,
 #endif
 };
 
diff --git a/kernel/nscommon.c b/kernel/nscommon.c
index 3166c1fd844a..e6f623e1bc37 100644
--- a/kernel/nscommon.c
+++ b/kernel/nscommon.c
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ int __ns_common_init(struct ns_common *ns, u32 ns_type, const struct proc_ns_ope
 
 void __ns_common_free(struct ns_common *ns)
 {
-	proc_free_inum(ns->inum);
+	if (ns->inum > MNT_NS_INO_SPECIAL_MAX)
+		proc_free_inum(ns->inum);
 }
 
 struct ns_common *__must_check ns_owner(struct ns_common *ns)