diff --git a/fs/ext4/namei.c b/fs/ext4/namei.c
index c093717d47c1..e64a38684885 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/namei.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/namei.c
@@ -2797,19 +2797,18 @@ static int ext4_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	if (IS_DIRSYNC(dir))
 		ext4_handle_sync(handle);
 
-	if (!inode->i_nlink) {
-		ext4_warning(inode->i_sb,
-			     "Deleting nonexistent file (%lu), %d",
-			     inode->i_ino, inode->i_nlink);
-		set_nlink(inode, 1);
-	}
 	retval = ext4_delete_entry(handle, dir, de, bh);
 	if (retval)
 		goto end_unlink;
 	dir->i_ctime = dir->i_mtime = ext4_current_time(dir);
 	ext4_update_dx_flag(dir);
 	ext4_mark_inode_dirty(handle, dir);
-	drop_nlink(inode);
+	if (!inode->i_nlink)
+		ext4_warning(inode->i_sb,
+			     "Deleting nonexistent file (%lu), %d",
+			     inode->i_ino, inode->i_nlink);
+	else
+		drop_nlink(inode);
 	if (!inode->i_nlink)
 		ext4_orphan_add(handle, inode);
 	inode->i_ctime = ext4_current_time(inode);