diff --git a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
index 515fdace1eeaf..ca7daee7c8115 100644
--- a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
+++ b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ enum {
 static void release_ei(struct kref *ref)
 {
 	struct eventfs_inode *ei = container_of(ref, struct eventfs_inode, kref);
+
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(!ei->is_freed);
+
 	kfree(ei->entry_attrs);
 	kfree_const(ei->name);
 	kfree_rcu(ei, rcu);
@@ -84,6 +87,14 @@ static inline void put_ei(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
 		kref_put(&ei->kref, release_ei);
 }
 
+static inline void free_ei(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
+{
+	if (ei) {
+		ei->is_freed = 1;
+		put_ei(ei);
+	}
+}
+
 static inline struct eventfs_inode *get_ei(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
 {
 	if (ei)
@@ -679,7 +690,7 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_dir(const char *name, struct eventfs_inode
 
 	/* Was the parent freed? */
 	if (list_empty(&ei->list)) {
-		put_ei(ei);
+		free_ei(ei);
 		ei = NULL;
 	}
 	return ei;
@@ -770,7 +781,7 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_events_dir(const char *name, struct dentry
 	return ei;
 
  fail:
-	put_ei(ei);
+	free_ei(ei);
 	tracefs_failed_creating(dentry);
 	return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 }
@@ -801,9 +812,8 @@ static void eventfs_remove_rec(struct eventfs_inode *ei, int level)
 	list_for_each_entry(ei_child, &ei->children, list)
 		eventfs_remove_rec(ei_child, level + 1);
 
-	ei->is_freed = 1;
 	list_del(&ei->list);
-	put_ei(ei);
+	free_ei(ei);
 }
 
 /**