diff --git a/kernel/auditfilter.c b/kernel/auditfilter.c
index 4401119b5275..b0e115590ee4 100644
--- a/kernel/auditfilter.c
+++ b/kernel/auditfilter.c
@@ -1023,7 +1023,6 @@ static inline int audit_add_rule(struct audit_entry *entry)
 int audit_del_rule(struct audit_entry *entry)
 {
 	struct audit_entry  *e;
-	struct audit_tree *tree = entry->rule.tree;
 	struct list_head *list;
 	int ret = 0;
 #ifdef CONFIG_AUDITSYSCALL
@@ -1069,9 +1068,6 @@ int audit_del_rule(struct audit_entry *entry)
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&audit_filter_mutex);
 
-	if (tree)
-		audit_put_tree(tree);	/* that's the temporary one */
-
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -1156,6 +1152,8 @@ int audit_rule_change(int type, int seq, void *data, size_t datasz)
 	}
 
 	if (err || type == AUDIT_DEL_RULE) {
+		if (type == AUDIT_DEL_RULE && entry->rule.tree)
+			audit_put_tree(entry->rule.tree);
 		if (entry->rule.exe)
 			audit_remove_mark(entry->rule.exe);
 		audit_free_rule(entry);