diff --git a/kernel/audit_tree.c b/kernel/audit_tree.c
index 7f18d3a4527e..37b2bea170c8 100644
--- a/kernel/audit_tree.c
+++ b/kernel/audit_tree.c
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ static void untag_chunk(struct node *p)
 {
 	struct audit_chunk *chunk = find_chunk(p);
 	struct fsnotify_mark *entry = &chunk->mark;
-	struct audit_chunk *new;
+	struct audit_chunk *new = NULL;
 	struct audit_tree *owner;
 	int size = chunk->count - 1;
 	int i, j;
@@ -232,9 +232,14 @@ static void untag_chunk(struct node *p)
 
 	spin_unlock(&hash_lock);
 
+	if (size)
+		new = alloc_chunk(size);
+
 	spin_lock(&entry->lock);
 	if (chunk->dead || !entry->i.inode) {
 		spin_unlock(&entry->lock);
+		if (new)
+			free_chunk(new);
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -255,9 +260,9 @@ static void untag_chunk(struct node *p)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	new = alloc_chunk(size);
 	if (!new)
 		goto Fallback;
+
 	fsnotify_duplicate_mark(&new->mark, entry);
 	if (fsnotify_add_mark(&new->mark, new->mark.group, new->mark.i.inode, NULL, 1)) {
 		free_chunk(new);