diff --git a/fs/ext2/namei.c b/fs/ext2/namei.c
index 2e1d8341d827..adb91855ccd0 100644
--- a/fs/ext2/namei.c
+++ b/fs/ext2/namei.c
@@ -344,7 +344,6 @@ static int ext2_rename (struct inode * old_dir, struct dentry * old_dentry,
 		new_de = ext2_find_entry (new_dir, &new_dentry->d_name, &new_page);
 		if (!new_de)
 			goto out_dir;
-		inode_inc_link_count(old_inode);
 		ext2_set_link(new_dir, new_de, new_page, old_inode, 1);
 		new_inode->i_ctime = CURRENT_TIME_SEC;
 		if (dir_de)
@@ -356,12 +355,9 @@ static int ext2_rename (struct inode * old_dir, struct dentry * old_dentry,
 			if (new_dir->i_nlink >= EXT2_LINK_MAX)
 				goto out_dir;
 		}
-		inode_inc_link_count(old_inode);
 		err = ext2_add_link(new_dentry, old_inode);
-		if (err) {
-			inode_dec_link_count(old_inode);
+		if (err)
 			goto out_dir;
-		}
 		if (dir_de)
 			inode_inc_link_count(new_dir);
 	}
@@ -369,12 +365,11 @@ static int ext2_rename (struct inode * old_dir, struct dentry * old_dentry,
 	/*
 	 * Like most other Unix systems, set the ctime for inodes on a
  	 * rename.
-	 * inode_dec_link_count() will mark the inode dirty.
 	 */
 	old_inode->i_ctime = CURRENT_TIME_SEC;
+	mark_inode_dirty(old_inode);
 
 	ext2_delete_entry (old_de, old_page);
-	inode_dec_link_count(old_inode);
 
 	if (dir_de) {
 		if (old_dir != new_dir)