diff --git a/fs/autofs4/autofs_i.h b/fs/autofs4/autofs_i.h
index f0d268b97d19..a439548de785 100644
--- a/fs/autofs4/autofs_i.h
+++ b/fs/autofs4/autofs_i.h
@@ -70,9 +70,13 @@ struct autofs_info {
 };
 
 #define AUTOFS_INF_EXPIRING	(1<<0) /* dentry in the process of expiring */
-#define AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU	(1<<1) /* the dentry is being considered
+#define AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE	(1<<1) /* the dentry is being considered
 					* for expiry, so RCU_walk is
-					* not permitted
+					* not permitted.  If it progresses to
+					* actual expiry attempt, the flag is
+					* not cleared when EXPIRING is set -
+					* in that case it gets cleared only
+					* when it comes to clearing EXPIRING.
 					*/
 #define AUTOFS_INF_PENDING	(1<<2) /* dentry pending mount */
 
diff --git a/fs/autofs4/expire.c b/fs/autofs4/expire.c
index 9510d8d2e9cd..b493909e7492 100644
--- a/fs/autofs4/expire.c
+++ b/fs/autofs4/expire.c
@@ -316,19 +316,17 @@ struct dentry *autofs4_expire_direct(struct super_block *sb,
 	if (ino->flags & AUTOFS_INF_PENDING)
 		goto out;
 	if (!autofs4_direct_busy(mnt, root, timeout, do_now)) {
-		ino->flags |= AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU;
+		ino->flags |= AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE;
 		spin_unlock(&sbi->fs_lock);
 		synchronize_rcu();
 		spin_lock(&sbi->fs_lock);
 		if (!autofs4_direct_busy(mnt, root, timeout, do_now)) {
 			ino->flags |= AUTOFS_INF_EXPIRING;
-			smp_mb();
-			ino->flags &= ~AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU;
 			init_completion(&ino->expire_complete);
 			spin_unlock(&sbi->fs_lock);
 			return root;
 		}
-		ino->flags &= ~AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU;
+		ino->flags &= ~AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE;
 	}
 out:
 	spin_unlock(&sbi->fs_lock);
@@ -446,7 +444,7 @@ struct dentry *autofs4_expire_indirect(struct super_block *sb,
 	while ((dentry = get_next_positive_subdir(dentry, root))) {
 		spin_lock(&sbi->fs_lock);
 		ino = autofs4_dentry_ino(dentry);
-		if (ino->flags & AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU)
+		if (ino->flags & AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE)
 			expired = NULL;
 		else
 			expired = should_expire(dentry, mnt, timeout, how);
@@ -455,7 +453,7 @@ struct dentry *autofs4_expire_indirect(struct super_block *sb,
 			continue;
 		}
 		ino = autofs4_dentry_ino(expired);
-		ino->flags |= AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU;
+		ino->flags |= AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE;
 		spin_unlock(&sbi->fs_lock);
 		synchronize_rcu();
 		spin_lock(&sbi->fs_lock);
@@ -465,7 +463,7 @@ struct dentry *autofs4_expire_indirect(struct super_block *sb,
 			goto found;
 		}
 
-		ino->flags &= ~AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU;
+		ino->flags &= ~AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE;
 		if (expired != dentry)
 			dput(expired);
 		spin_unlock(&sbi->fs_lock);
@@ -475,17 +473,8 @@ struct dentry *autofs4_expire_indirect(struct super_block *sb,
 found:
 	pr_debug("returning %p %pd\n", expired, expired);
 	ino->flags |= AUTOFS_INF_EXPIRING;
-	smp_mb();
-	ino->flags &= ~AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU;
 	init_completion(&ino->expire_complete);
 	spin_unlock(&sbi->fs_lock);
-	spin_lock(&sbi->lookup_lock);
-	spin_lock(&expired->d_parent->d_lock);
-	spin_lock_nested(&expired->d_lock, DENTRY_D_LOCK_NESTED);
-	list_move(&expired->d_parent->d_subdirs, &expired->d_child);
-	spin_unlock(&expired->d_lock);
-	spin_unlock(&expired->d_parent->d_lock);
-	spin_unlock(&sbi->lookup_lock);
 	return expired;
 }
 
@@ -496,7 +485,7 @@ int autofs4_expire_wait(struct dentry *dentry, int rcu_walk)
 	int status;
 
 	/* Block on any pending expire */
-	if (!(ino->flags & (AUTOFS_INF_EXPIRING | AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU)))
+	if (!(ino->flags & AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE))
 		return 0;
 	if (rcu_walk)
 		return -ECHILD;
@@ -554,7 +543,7 @@ int autofs4_expire_run(struct super_block *sb,
 	ino = autofs4_dentry_ino(dentry);
 	/* avoid rapid-fire expire attempts if expiry fails */
 	ino->last_used = now;
-	ino->flags &= ~AUTOFS_INF_EXPIRING;
+	ino->flags &= ~(AUTOFS_INF_EXPIRING|AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE);
 	complete_all(&ino->expire_complete);
 	spin_unlock(&sbi->fs_lock);
 
@@ -583,7 +572,7 @@ int autofs4_do_expire_multi(struct super_block *sb, struct vfsmount *mnt,
 		spin_lock(&sbi->fs_lock);
 		/* avoid rapid-fire expire attempts if expiry fails */
 		ino->last_used = now;
-		ino->flags &= ~AUTOFS_INF_EXPIRING;
+		ino->flags &= ~(AUTOFS_INF_EXPIRING|AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE);
 		complete_all(&ino->expire_complete);
 		spin_unlock(&sbi->fs_lock);
 		dput(dentry);
diff --git a/fs/autofs4/root.c b/fs/autofs4/root.c
index 78bd80298528..3767f6641af1 100644
--- a/fs/autofs4/root.c
+++ b/fs/autofs4/root.c
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ static int autofs4_d_manage(struct dentry *dentry, bool rcu_walk)
 		 */
 		struct inode *inode;
 
-		if (ino->flags & (AUTOFS_INF_EXPIRING | AUTOFS_INF_NO_RCU))
+		if (ino->flags & AUTOFS_INF_WANT_EXPIRE)
 			return 0;
 		if (d_mountpoint(dentry))
 			return 0;