diff --git a/fs/nfs/dir.c b/fs/nfs/dir.c
index 32062c33c859..7cb298525eef 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/dir.c
@@ -1536,6 +1536,8 @@ nfs_link(struct dentry *old_dentry, struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 		old_dentry->d_parent->d_name.name, old_dentry->d_name.name,
 		dentry->d_parent->d_name.name, dentry->d_name.name);
 
+	nfs_inode_return_delegation(inode);
+
 	d_drop(dentry);
 	error = NFS_PROTO(dir)->link(inode, dir, &dentry->d_name);
 	if (error == 0) {