diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs3proc.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs3proc.c
index 0fdbb9504a87..d85b110d58dd 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs3proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs3proc.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ nfsd3_proc_lookup(struct svc_rqst *rqstp)
 
 	resp->status = nfsd_lookup(rqstp, &resp->dirfh,
 				   argp->name, argp->len,
-				   &resp->fh);
+				   &resp->fh, NULL);
 	return rpc_success;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c
index 71a4b8ef77f0..79434e29b63f 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4proc.c
@@ -411,7 +411,9 @@ nfsd4_create_file(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp,
 }
 
 static __be32
-do_open_lookup(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate, struct nfsd4_open *open, struct svc_fh **resfh)
+do_open_lookup(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate,
+	       struct nfsd4_open *open, struct svc_fh **resfh,
+	       int *locked)
 {
 	struct svc_fh *current_fh = &cstate->current_fh;
 	int accmode;
@@ -455,14 +457,9 @@ do_open_lookup(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate, stru
 			open->op_bmval[1] |= (FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_ACCESS |
 						FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_MODIFY);
 	} else
-		/*
-		 * Note this may exit with the parent still locked.
-		 * We will hold the lock until nfsd4_open's final
-		 * lookup, to prevent renames or unlinks until we've had
-		 * a chance to an acquire a delegation if appropriate.
-		 */
 		status = nfsd_lookup(rqstp, current_fh,
-				     open->op_fname, open->op_fnamelen, *resfh);
+				     open->op_fname, open->op_fnamelen, *resfh,
+				     locked);
 	if (status)
 		goto out;
 	status = nfsd_check_obj_isreg(*resfh);
@@ -537,6 +534,7 @@ nfsd4_open(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate,
 	struct net *net = SVC_NET(rqstp);
 	struct nfsd_net *nn = net_generic(net, nfsd_net_id);
 	bool reclaim = false;
+	int locked = 0;
 
 	dprintk("NFSD: nfsd4_open filename %.*s op_openowner %p\n",
 		(int)open->op_fnamelen, open->op_fname,
@@ -598,7 +596,7 @@ nfsd4_open(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate,
 	switch (open->op_claim_type) {
 	case NFS4_OPEN_CLAIM_DELEGATE_CUR:
 	case NFS4_OPEN_CLAIM_NULL:
-		status = do_open_lookup(rqstp, cstate, open, &resfh);
+		status = do_open_lookup(rqstp, cstate, open, &resfh, &locked);
 		if (status)
 			goto out;
 		break;
@@ -636,6 +634,8 @@ nfsd4_open(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate,
 		fput(open->op_filp);
 		open->op_filp = NULL;
 	}
+	if (locked)
+		inode_unlock(cstate->current_fh.fh_dentry->d_inode);
 	if (resfh && resfh != &cstate->current_fh) {
 		fh_dup2(&cstate->current_fh, resfh);
 		fh_put(resfh);
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ static __be32 nfsd4_do_lookupp(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fh)
 		return nfserr_noent;
 	}
 	fh_put(&tmp_fh);
-	return nfsd_lookup(rqstp, fh, "..", 2, fh);
+	return nfsd_lookup(rqstp, fh, "..", 2, fh, NULL);
 }
 
 static __be32
@@ -936,7 +936,7 @@ nfsd4_lookup(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate,
 {
 	return nfsd_lookup(rqstp, &cstate->current_fh,
 			   u->lookup.lo_name, u->lookup.lo_len,
-			   &cstate->current_fh);
+			   &cstate->current_fh, NULL);
 }
 
 static __be32
@@ -1078,11 +1078,10 @@ nfsd4_secinfo(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct nfsd4_compound_state *cstate,
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 	err = nfsd_lookup_dentry(rqstp, &cstate->current_fh,
-				    secinfo->si_name, secinfo->si_namelen,
-				    &exp, &dentry);
+				 secinfo->si_name, secinfo->si_namelen,
+				 &exp, &dentry, NULL);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
-	fh_unlock(&cstate->current_fh);
 	if (d_really_is_negative(dentry)) {
 		exp_put(exp);
 		err = nfserr_noent;
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfsproc.c b/fs/nfsd/nfsproc.c
index 2dccf77634e8..465d70e053f6 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfsproc.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfsproc.c
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ nfsd_proc_lookup(struct svc_rqst *rqstp)
 
 	fh_init(&resp->fh, NFS_FHSIZE);
 	resp->status = nfsd_lookup(rqstp, &argp->fh, argp->name, argp->len,
-				   &resp->fh);
+				   &resp->fh, NULL);
 	fh_put(&argp->fh);
 	if (resp->status != nfs_ok)
 		goto out;
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/vfs.c b/fs/nfsd/vfs.c
index b0df216ab3e4..4c2e431100ba 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/vfs.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/vfs.c
@@ -172,7 +172,8 @@ int nfsd_mountpoint(struct dentry *dentry, struct svc_export *exp)
 __be32
 nfsd_lookup_dentry(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp,
 		   const char *name, unsigned int len,
-		   struct svc_export **exp_ret, struct dentry **dentry_ret)
+		   struct svc_export **exp_ret, struct dentry **dentry_ret,
+		   int *locked)
 {
 	struct svc_export	*exp;
 	struct dentry		*dparent;
@@ -184,6 +185,9 @@ nfsd_lookup_dentry(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp,
 	dparent = fhp->fh_dentry;
 	exp = exp_get(fhp->fh_export);
 
+	if (locked)
+		*locked = 0;
+
 	/* Lookup the name, but don't follow links */
 	if (isdotent(name, len)) {
 		if (len==1)
@@ -199,13 +203,15 @@ nfsd_lookup_dentry(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp,
 				goto out_nfserr;
 		}
 	} else {
-		/*
-		 * In the nfsd4_open() case, this may be held across
-		 * subsequent open and delegation acquisition which may
-		 * need to take the child's i_mutex:
-		 */
-		fh_lock_nested(fhp, I_MUTEX_PARENT);
-		dentry = lookup_one_len(name, dparent, len);
+		if (locked) {
+			inode_lock_nested(dparent->d_inode, I_MUTEX_PARENT);
+			dentry = lookup_one_len(name, dparent, len);
+			if (IS_ERR(dentry))
+				inode_unlock(dparent->d_inode);
+			else
+				*locked = 1;
+		} else
+			dentry = lookup_one_len_unlocked(name, dparent, len);
 		host_err = PTR_ERR(dentry);
 		if (IS_ERR(dentry))
 			goto out_nfserr;
@@ -218,7 +224,10 @@ nfsd_lookup_dentry(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp,
 			 * something that we might be about to delegate,
 			 * and a mountpoint won't be renamed:
 			 */
-			fh_unlock(fhp);
+			if (locked && *locked) {
+				inode_unlock(dparent->d_inode);
+				*locked = 0;
+			}
 			if ((host_err = nfsd_cross_mnt(rqstp, &dentry, &exp))) {
 				dput(dentry);
 				goto out_nfserr;
@@ -248,7 +257,8 @@ nfsd_lookup_dentry(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp,
  */
 __be32
 nfsd_lookup(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp, const char *name,
-				unsigned int len, struct svc_fh *resfh)
+	    unsigned int len, struct svc_fh *resfh,
+	    int *locked)
 {
 	struct svc_export	*exp;
 	struct dentry		*dentry;
@@ -257,7 +267,7 @@ nfsd_lookup(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp, const char *name,
 	err = fh_verify(rqstp, fhp, S_IFDIR, NFSD_MAY_EXEC);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
-	err = nfsd_lookup_dentry(rqstp, fhp, name, len, &exp, &dentry);
+	err = nfsd_lookup_dentry(rqstp, fhp, name, len, &exp, &dentry, locked);
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 	err = check_nfsd_access(exp, rqstp);
@@ -273,6 +283,10 @@ nfsd_lookup(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp, const char *name,
 out:
 	dput(dentry);
 	exp_put(exp);
+	if (err && locked && *locked) {
+		inode_unlock(fhp->fh_dentry->d_inode);
+		*locked = 0;
+	}
 	return err;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/vfs.h b/fs/nfsd/vfs.h
index 26347d76f44a..b7d41b73dd79 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/vfs.h
+++ b/fs/nfsd/vfs.h
@@ -45,10 +45,12 @@ typedef int (*nfsd_filldir_t)(void *, const char *, int, loff_t, u64, unsigned);
 int		nfsd_cross_mnt(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct dentry **dpp,
 		                struct svc_export **expp);
 __be32		nfsd_lookup(struct svc_rqst *, struct svc_fh *,
-				const char *, unsigned int, struct svc_fh *);
+			    const char *, unsigned int, struct svc_fh *,
+			    int *);
 __be32		 nfsd_lookup_dentry(struct svc_rqst *, struct svc_fh *,
-				const char *, unsigned int,
-				struct svc_export **, struct dentry **);
+				    const char *, unsigned int,
+				    struct svc_export **, struct dentry **,
+				    int *);
 __be32		nfsd_setattr(struct svc_rqst *, struct svc_fh *,
 				struct iattr *, int, time64_t);
 int nfsd_mountpoint(struct dentry *, struct svc_export *);
