diff --git a/security/apparmor/policy.c b/security/apparmor/policy.c
index f6f7cdcb6212..bfe969b86957 100644
--- a/security/apparmor/policy.c
+++ b/security/apparmor/policy.c
@@ -1432,8 +1432,10 @@ ssize_t aa_replace_profiles(struct aa_ns *policy_ns, struct aa_label *label,
 	 * them yet, and leaving them behind would leak the new profiles
 	 * (their dents pin the proxy) and make the next load at the same,
 	 * unbumped ns revision fail with -EEXIST on its raw_data dir.
+	 * ensure children (which are at the end of the list are removed
+	 * before their parent
 	 */
-	list_for_each_entry(tmp, &lh, list) {
+	list_for_each_entry_reverse(tmp, &lh, list) {
 		if (!tmp->old)
 			__aafs_profile_rmdir(tmp->new);
 	}