diff --git a/fs/nfs/dir.c b/fs/nfs/dir.c
index 49394123bd09..741144f04932 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/dir.c
@@ -1935,7 +1935,7 @@ static int nfs_dentry_delete(const struct dentry *dentry)
 }
 
 /* Ensure that we revalidate inode->i_nlink */
-static void nfs_drop_nlink(struct inode *inode, unsigned long gencount)
+void nfs_drop_nlink(struct inode *inode, unsigned long gencount)
 {
 	struct nfs_inode *nfsi = NFS_I(inode);
 
@@ -1949,6 +1949,7 @@ static void nfs_drop_nlink(struct inode *inode, unsigned long gencount)
 			       NFS_INO_INVALID_NLINK);
 	spin_unlock(&inode->i_lock);
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nfs_drop_nlink);
 
 /*
  * Called when the dentry loses inode.
@@ -2554,7 +2555,6 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nfs_rmdir);
 static int nfs_safe_remove(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	struct inode *dir = d_inode(dentry->d_parent);
-	struct inode *inode = d_inode(dentry);
 	int error = -EBUSY;
 		
 	dfprintk(VFS, "NFS: safe_remove(%pd2)\n", dentry);
@@ -2566,14 +2566,7 @@ static int nfs_safe_remove(struct dentry *dentry)
 	}
 
 	trace_nfs_remove_enter(dir, dentry);
-	if (inode != NULL) {
-		unsigned long gencount = READ_ONCE(NFS_I(inode)->attr_gencount);
-
-		error = NFS_PROTO(dir)->remove(dir, dentry);
-		if (error == 0)
-			nfs_drop_nlink(inode, gencount);
-	} else
-		error = NFS_PROTO(dir)->remove(dir, dentry);
+	error = NFS_PROTO(dir)->remove(dir, dentry);
 	if (error == -ENOENT)
 		nfs_dentry_handle_enoent(dentry);
 	trace_nfs_remove_exit(dir, dentry, error);
diff --git a/fs/nfs/internal.h b/fs/nfs/internal.h
index 959edbc9add2..42f170973000 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/internal.h
+++ b/fs/nfs/internal.h
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ extern unsigned long nfs_access_cache_count(struct shrinker *shrink,
 					    struct shrink_control *sc);
 extern unsigned long nfs_access_cache_scan(struct shrinker *shrink,
 					   struct shrink_control *sc);
+extern void nfs_drop_nlink(struct inode *inode, unsigned long gencount);
 struct dentry *nfs_lookup(struct inode *, struct dentry *, unsigned int);
 void nfs_d_prune_case_insensitive_aliases(struct inode *inode);
 int nfs_create(struct mnt_idmap *, struct inode *, struct dentry *,
diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs3proc.c b/fs/nfs/nfs3proc.c
index b80d0c5efc27..b5aa3100b627 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs3proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs3proc.c
@@ -448,13 +448,21 @@ nfs3_proc_remove(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 		.rpc_resp = &res,
 	};
 	int status = -ENOMEM;
+	struct inode *inode = d_inode(dentry);
+	unsigned long gencount;
 
 	dprintk("NFS call  remove %pd2\n", dentry);
 	res.dir_attr = nfs_alloc_fattr();
 	if (res.dir_attr == NULL)
 		goto out;
 
+	if (inode)
+		gencount = READ_ONCE(NFS_I(inode)->attr_gencount);
+
 	status = rpc_call_sync(NFS_CLIENT(dir), &msg, 0);
+	if (status == 0 && inode)
+		nfs_drop_nlink(inode, gencount);
+
 	nfs_post_op_update_inode(dir, res.dir_attr);
 	nfs_free_fattr(res.dir_attr);
 out:
diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
index 518348e87dd8..0adc209dc5df 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
@@ -4969,12 +4969,14 @@ static int nfs4_proc_remove(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	};
 	struct inode *inode = d_inode(dentry);
 	int err;
+	unsigned long gencount;
 
 	if (inode) {
 		if (inode->i_nlink == 1)
 			nfs4_inode_return_delegation(inode);
 		else
 			nfs4_inode_make_writeable(inode);
+		gencount = READ_ONCE(NFS_I(inode)->attr_gencount);
 	}
 	do {
 		err = _nfs4_proc_remove(dir, &dentry->d_name, NF4REG);
@@ -4982,6 +4984,9 @@ static int nfs4_proc_remove(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 		err = nfs4_handle_exception(NFS_SERVER(dir), err,
 				&exception);
 	} while (exception.retry);
+
+	if (err == 0 && inode)
+		nfs_drop_nlink(inode, gencount);
 	return err;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/nfs/proc.c b/fs/nfs/proc.c
index 03c2c1f31be9..406d04b52a7d 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/proc.c
@@ -323,9 +323,17 @@ nfs_proc_remove(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 		.rpc_argp = &arg,
 	};
 	int			status;
+	struct inode *inode = d_inode(dentry);
+	unsigned long gencount;
 
 	dprintk("NFS call  remove %pd2\n",dentry);
+	if (inode)
+		gencount = READ_ONCE(NFS_I(inode)->attr_gencount);
+
 	status = rpc_call_sync(NFS_CLIENT(dir), &msg, 0);
+	if (status == 0 && inode)
+		nfs_drop_nlink(inode, gencount);
+
 	nfs_mark_for_revalidate(dir);
 
 	dprintk("NFS reply remove: %d\n", status);