diff --git a/kernel/audit_watch.c b/kernel/audit_watch.c
index 12649a0e0af0..3fdc861f7e81 100644
--- a/kernel/audit_watch.c
+++ b/kernel/audit_watch.c
@@ -414,6 +414,13 @@ int audit_add_watch(struct audit_krule *krule, struct list_head **list)
 	struct path parent_path;
 	int h, ret = 0;
 
+	/*
+	 * When we will be calling audit_add_to_parent, krule->watch might have
+	 * been updated and watch might have been freed.
+	 * So we need to keep a reference of watch.
+	 */
+	audit_get_watch(watch);
+
 	mutex_unlock(&audit_filter_mutex);
 
 	/* Avoid calling path_lookup under audit_filter_mutex. */
@@ -422,8 +429,10 @@ int audit_add_watch(struct audit_krule *krule, struct list_head **list)
 	/* caller expects mutex locked */
 	mutex_lock(&audit_filter_mutex);
 
-	if (ret)
+	if (ret) {
+		audit_put_watch(watch);
 		return ret;
+	}
 
 	/* either find an old parent or attach a new one */
 	parent = audit_find_parent(parent_path.dentry->d_inode);
@@ -444,6 +453,7 @@ int audit_add_watch(struct audit_krule *krule, struct list_head **list)
 	*list = &audit_inode_hash[h];
 error:
 	path_put(&parent_path);
+	audit_put_watch(watch);
 	return ret;
 }