diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/dlmglue.c b/fs/ocfs2/dlmglue.c
index 88d946466083..412ab0808c59 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/dlmglue.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/dlmglue.c
@@ -3356,6 +3356,14 @@ static void ocfs2_dlm_shutdown_debug(struct ocfs2_super *osb)
 {
 	struct ocfs2_dlm_debug *dlm_debug = osb->osb_dlm_debug;
 
+	/*
+	 * Drain the readers before the cluster stack goes away: the
+	 * locking_state reader resolves ocfs2_dlm_lvb() through the
+	 * stack. Every caller removes the parent directory later.
+	 */
+	debugfs_lookup_and_remove("locking_state", osb->osb_debug_root);
+	debugfs_lookup_and_remove("locking_filter", osb->osb_debug_root);
+
 	if (dlm_debug)
 		ocfs2_put_dlm_debug(dlm_debug);
 }
@@ -3370,8 +3378,6 @@ int ocfs2_dlm_init(struct ocfs2_super *osb)
 		goto local;
 	}
 
-	ocfs2_dlm_init_debug(osb);
-
 	/* launch downconvert thread */
 	osb->dc_task = kthread_run(ocfs2_downconvert_thread, osb, "ocfs2dc-%s",
 			osb->uuid_str);
@@ -3411,9 +3417,10 @@ int ocfs2_dlm_init(struct ocfs2_super *osb)
 	ocfs2_orphan_scan_lock_res_init(&osb->osb_orphan_scan.os_lockres, osb);
 
 	osb->cconn = conn;
+	if (conn)
+		ocfs2_dlm_init_debug(osb);
 bail:
 	if (status < 0) {
-		ocfs2_dlm_shutdown_debug(osb);
 		if (osb->dc_task)
 			kthread_stop(osb->dc_task);
 	}
@@ -3443,10 +3450,11 @@ void ocfs2_dlm_shutdown(struct ocfs2_super *osb,
 	ocfs2_lock_res_free(&osb->osb_orphan_scan.os_lockres);
 
 	if (osb->cconn) {
+		/* The disconnect below may release the selected stack. */
+		ocfs2_dlm_shutdown_debug(osb);
+
 		ocfs2_cluster_disconnect(osb->cconn, hangup_pending);
 		osb->cconn = NULL;
-
-		ocfs2_dlm_shutdown_debug(osb);
 	}
 }