diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/namei.c b/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
index 1a97e167b219..05f32989bad6 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ static int ocfs2_mknod(struct user_namespace *mnt_userns,
 	handle_t *handle = NULL;
 	struct ocfs2_super *osb;
 	struct ocfs2_dinode *dirfe;
+	struct ocfs2_dinode *fe = NULL;
 	struct buffer_head *new_fe_bh = NULL;
 	struct inode *inode = NULL;
 	struct ocfs2_alloc_context *inode_ac = NULL;
@@ -382,6 +383,7 @@ static int ocfs2_mknod(struct user_namespace *mnt_userns,
 		goto leave;
 	}
 
+	fe = (struct ocfs2_dinode *) new_fe_bh->b_data;
 	if (S_ISDIR(mode)) {
 		status = ocfs2_fill_new_dir(osb, handle, dir, inode,
 					    new_fe_bh, data_ac, meta_ac);
@@ -454,8 +456,11 @@ roll_back:
 leave:
 	if (status < 0 && did_quota_inode)
 		dquot_free_inode(inode);
-	if (handle)
+	if (handle) {
+		if (status < 0 && fe)
+			ocfs2_set_links_count(fe, 0);
 		ocfs2_commit_trans(osb, handle);
+	}
 
 	ocfs2_inode_unlock(dir, 1);
 	if (did_block_signals)
@@ -2019,8 +2024,11 @@ bail:
 					ocfs2_clusters_to_bytes(osb->sb, 1));
 	if (status < 0 && did_quota_inode)
 		dquot_free_inode(inode);
-	if (handle)
+	if (handle) {
+		if (status < 0 && fe)
+			ocfs2_set_links_count(fe, 0);
 		ocfs2_commit_trans(osb, handle);
+	}
 
 	ocfs2_inode_unlock(dir, 1);
 	if (did_block_signals)