diff --git a/fs/fat/dir.c b/fs/fat/dir.c
index 35bdb62944a2..0cebcaf82426 100644
--- a/fs/fat/dir.c
+++ b/fs/fat/dir.c
@@ -963,6 +963,16 @@ int fat_dir_empty(struct inode *dir)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fat_dir_empty);
 
+void fat_dir_drop_nlink(struct inode *dir)
+{
+	if (dir->i_nlink >= 3)
+		drop_nlink(dir);
+	else
+		fat_fs_error(dir->i_sb, "parent dir link count too low (%u)",
+			     dir->i_nlink);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fat_dir_drop_nlink);
+
 /*
  * fat_subdirs counts the number of sub-directories of dir. It can be run
  * on directories being created.
diff --git a/fs/fat/fat.h b/fs/fat/fat.h
index 76978a268410..a8a3ca4f465b 100644
--- a/fs/fat/fat.h
+++ b/fs/fat/fat.h
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ extern const struct file_operations fat_dir_operations;
 extern int fat_search_long(struct inode *inode, const unsigned char *name,
 			   int name_len, struct fat_slot_info *sinfo);
 extern int fat_dir_empty(struct inode *dir);
+void fat_dir_drop_nlink(struct inode *dir);
 extern int fat_subdirs(struct inode *dir);
 extern int fat_scan(struct inode *dir, const unsigned char *name,
 		    struct fat_slot_info *sinfo);
diff --git a/fs/fat/namei_msdos.c b/fs/fat/namei_msdos.c
index c7500c2859e0..5a43d042eb01 100644
--- a/fs/fat/namei_msdos.c
+++ b/fs/fat/namei_msdos.c
@@ -333,12 +333,7 @@ static int msdos_rmdir(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	err = fat_remove_entries(dir, &sinfo);	/* and releases bh */
 	if (err)
 		goto out;
-	if (dir->i_nlink >= 3)
-		drop_nlink(dir);
-	else {
-		fat_fs_error(sb, "parent dir link count too low (%u)",
-			dir->i_nlink);
-	}
+	fat_dir_drop_nlink(dir);
 
 	clear_nlink(inode);
 	fat_detach(inode);
@@ -565,6 +560,8 @@ static int do_msdos_rename(struct inode *old_dir, unsigned char *old_name,
 		(void)sync_inode_metadata(old_dir, 1);
 
 	if (new_inode) {
+		if (is_dir && old_dir == new_dir)
+			fat_dir_drop_nlink(old_dir);
 		drop_nlink(new_inode);
 		if (is_dir)
 			drop_nlink(new_inode);
diff --git a/fs/fat/namei_vfat.c b/fs/fat/namei_vfat.c
index ff7652bf0410..791f2d7b8509 100644
--- a/fs/fat/namei_vfat.c
+++ b/fs/fat/namei_vfat.c
@@ -809,12 +809,7 @@ static int vfat_rmdir(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	err = fat_remove_entries(dir, &sinfo);	/* and releases bh */
 	if (err)
 		goto out;
-	if (dir->i_nlink >= 3)
-		drop_nlink(dir);
-	else {
-		fat_fs_error(sb, "parent dir link count too low (%u)",
-			dir->i_nlink);
-	}
+	fat_dir_drop_nlink(dir);
 
 	clear_nlink(inode);
 	fat_truncate_time(inode, NULL, FAT_UPDATE_ATIME | FAT_UPDATE_CMTIME);
@@ -1011,6 +1006,8 @@ static int vfat_rename(struct inode *old_dir, struct dentry *old_dentry,
 	vfat_update_dir_metadata(old_dir, &ts);
 
 	if (new_inode) {
+		if (is_dir && old_dir == new_dir)
+			fat_dir_drop_nlink(old_dir);
 		drop_nlink(new_inode);
 		if (is_dir)
 			drop_nlink(new_inode);