diff --git a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
index b2285d5f3fedf9..515fdace1eeaf1 100644
--- a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
+++ b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
@@ -62,6 +62,35 @@ enum {
 
 #define EVENTFS_MODE_MASK	(EVENTFS_SAVE_MODE - 1)
 
+/*
+ * eventfs_inode reference count management.
+ *
+ * NOTE! We count only references from dentries, in the
+ * form 'dentry->d_fsdata'. There are also references from
+ * directory inodes ('ti->private'), but the dentry reference
+ * count is always a superset of the inode reference count.
+ */
+static void release_ei(struct kref *ref)
+{
+	struct eventfs_inode *ei = container_of(ref, struct eventfs_inode, kref);
+	kfree(ei->entry_attrs);
+	kfree_const(ei->name);
+	kfree_rcu(ei, rcu);
+}
+
+static inline void put_ei(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
+{
+	if (ei)
+		kref_put(&ei->kref, release_ei);
+}
+
+static inline struct eventfs_inode *get_ei(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
+{
+	if (ei)
+		kref_get(&ei->kref);
+	return ei;
+}
+
 static struct dentry *eventfs_root_lookup(struct inode *dir,
 					  struct dentry *dentry,
 					  unsigned int flags);
@@ -289,7 +318,8 @@ static void update_inode_attr(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode,
  * directory. The inode.i_private pointer will point to @data in the open()
  * call.
  */
-static struct dentry *lookup_file(struct dentry *dentry,
+static struct dentry *lookup_file(struct eventfs_inode *parent_ei,
+				  struct dentry *dentry,
 				  umode_t mode,
 				  struct eventfs_attr *attr,
 				  void *data,
@@ -302,7 +332,7 @@ static struct dentry *lookup_file(struct dentry *dentry,
 		mode |= S_IFREG;
 
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!S_ISREG(mode)))
-		return NULL;
+		return ERR_PTR(-EIO);
 
 	inode = tracefs_get_inode(dentry->d_sb);
 	if (unlikely(!inode))
@@ -321,9 +351,12 @@ static struct dentry *lookup_file(struct dentry *dentry,
 	ti = get_tracefs(inode);
 	ti->flags |= TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE;
 
+	// Files have their parent's ei as their fsdata
+	dentry->d_fsdata = get_ei(parent_ei);
+
 	d_add(dentry, inode);
 	fsnotify_create(dentry->d_parent->d_inode, dentry);
-	return dentry;
+	return NULL;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -359,22 +392,29 @@ static struct dentry *lookup_dir_entry(struct dentry *dentry,
 	/* Only directories have ti->private set to an ei, not files */
 	ti->private = ei;
 
-	dentry->d_fsdata = ei;
-        ei->dentry = dentry;	// Remove me!
+	dentry->d_fsdata = get_ei(ei);
 
 	inc_nlink(inode);
 	d_add(dentry, inode);
 	inc_nlink(dentry->d_parent->d_inode);
 	fsnotify_mkdir(dentry->d_parent->d_inode, dentry);
-	return dentry;
+	return NULL;
 }
 
-static void free_ei(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
+static inline struct eventfs_inode *alloc_ei(const char *name)
 {
-	kfree_const(ei->name);
-	kfree(ei->d_children);
-	kfree(ei->entry_attrs);
-	kfree(ei);
+	struct eventfs_inode *ei = kzalloc(sizeof(*ei), GFP_KERNEL);
+
+	if (!ei)
+		return NULL;
+
+	ei->name = kstrdup_const(name, GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!ei->name) {
+		kfree(ei);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	kref_init(&ei->kref);
+	return ei;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -385,39 +425,13 @@ static void free_ei(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
  */
 void eventfs_d_release(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	struct eventfs_inode *ei;
-	int i;
-
-	mutex_lock(&eventfs_mutex);
-
-	ei = dentry->d_fsdata;
-	if (!ei)
-		goto out;
-
-	/* This could belong to one of the files of the ei */
-	if (ei->dentry != dentry) {
-		for (i = 0; i < ei->nr_entries; i++) {
-			if (ei->d_children[i] == dentry)
-				break;
-		}
-		if (WARN_ON_ONCE(i == ei->nr_entries))
-			goto out;
-		ei->d_children[i] = NULL;
-	} else if (ei->is_freed) {
-		free_ei(ei);
-	} else {
-		ei->dentry = NULL;
-	}
-
-	dentry->d_fsdata = NULL;
- out:
-	mutex_unlock(&eventfs_mutex);
+	put_ei(dentry->d_fsdata);
 }
 
 /**
  * lookup_file_dentry - create a dentry for a file of an eventfs_inode
  * @ei: the eventfs_inode that the file will be created under
- * @idx: the index into the d_children[] of the @ei
+ * @idx: the index into the entry_attrs[] of the @ei
  * @parent: The parent dentry of the created file.
  * @name: The name of the file to create
  * @mode: The mode of the file.
@@ -434,17 +448,11 @@ lookup_file_dentry(struct dentry *dentry,
 		   const struct file_operations *fops)
 {
 	struct eventfs_attr *attr = NULL;
-	struct dentry **e_dentry = &ei->d_children[idx];
 
 	if (ei->entry_attrs)
 		attr = &ei->entry_attrs[idx];
 
-	dentry->d_fsdata = ei;		// NOTE: ei of _parent_
-	lookup_file(dentry, mode, attr, data, fops);
-
-	*e_dentry = dentry;	// Remove me
-
-	return dentry;
+	return lookup_file(ei, dentry, mode, attr, data, fops);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -465,6 +473,7 @@ static struct dentry *eventfs_root_lookup(struct inode *dir,
 	struct tracefs_inode *ti;
 	struct eventfs_inode *ei;
 	const char *name = dentry->d_name.name;
+	struct dentry *result = NULL;
 
 	ti = get_tracefs(dir);
 	if (!(ti->flags & TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE))
@@ -481,7 +490,7 @@ static struct dentry *eventfs_root_lookup(struct inode *dir,
 			continue;
 		if (ei_child->is_freed)
 			goto out;
-		lookup_dir_entry(dentry, ei, ei_child);
+		result = lookup_dir_entry(dentry, ei, ei_child);
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -498,12 +507,12 @@ static struct dentry *eventfs_root_lookup(struct inode *dir,
 		if (entry->callback(name, &mode, &data, &fops) <= 0)
 			goto out;
 
-		lookup_file_dentry(dentry, ei, i, mode, data, fops);
+		result = lookup_file_dentry(dentry, ei, i, mode, data, fops);
 		goto out;
 	}
  out:
 	mutex_unlock(&eventfs_mutex);
-	return NULL;
+	return result;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -653,25 +662,10 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_dir(const char *name, struct eventfs_inode
 	if (!parent)
 		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 
-	ei = kzalloc(sizeof(*ei), GFP_KERNEL);
+	ei = alloc_ei(name);
 	if (!ei)
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
-	ei->name = kstrdup_const(name, GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!ei->name) {
-		kfree(ei);
-		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
-	}
-
-	if (size) {
-		ei->d_children = kcalloc(size, sizeof(*ei->d_children), GFP_KERNEL);
-		if (!ei->d_children) {
-			kfree_const(ei->name);
-			kfree(ei);
-			return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
-		}
-	}
-
 	ei->entries = entries;
 	ei->nr_entries = size;
 	ei->data = data;
@@ -685,7 +679,7 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_dir(const char *name, struct eventfs_inode
 
 	/* Was the parent freed? */
 	if (list_empty(&ei->list)) {
-		free_ei(ei);
+		put_ei(ei);
 		ei = NULL;
 	}
 	return ei;
@@ -720,28 +714,20 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_events_dir(const char *name, struct dentry
 	if (IS_ERR(dentry))
 		return ERR_CAST(dentry);
 
-	ei = kzalloc(sizeof(*ei), GFP_KERNEL);
+	ei = alloc_ei(name);
 	if (!ei)
-		goto fail_ei;
+		goto fail;
 
 	inode = tracefs_get_inode(dentry->d_sb);
 	if (unlikely(!inode))
 		goto fail;
 
-	if (size) {
-		ei->d_children = kcalloc(size, sizeof(*ei->d_children), GFP_KERNEL);
-		if (!ei->d_children)
-			goto fail;
-	}
-
-	ei->dentry = dentry;
+	// Note: we have a ref to the dentry from tracefs_start_creating()
+	ei->events_dir = dentry;
 	ei->entries = entries;
 	ei->nr_entries = size;
 	ei->is_events = 1;
 	ei->data = data;
-	ei->name = kstrdup_const(name, GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!ei->name)
-		goto fail;
 
 	/* Save the ownership of this directory */
 	uid = d_inode(dentry->d_parent)->i_uid;
@@ -772,7 +758,7 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_events_dir(const char *name, struct dentry
 	inode->i_op = &eventfs_root_dir_inode_operations;
 	inode->i_fop = &eventfs_file_operations;
 
-	dentry->d_fsdata = ei;
+	dentry->d_fsdata = get_ei(ei);
 
 	/* directory inodes start off with i_nlink == 2 (for "." entry) */
 	inc_nlink(inode);
@@ -784,72 +770,11 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_events_dir(const char *name, struct dentry
 	return ei;
 
  fail:
-	kfree(ei->d_children);
-	kfree(ei);
- fail_ei:
+	put_ei(ei);
 	tracefs_failed_creating(dentry);
 	return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 }
 
-static LLIST_HEAD(free_list);
-
-static void eventfs_workfn(struct work_struct *work)
-{
-        struct eventfs_inode *ei, *tmp;
-        struct llist_node *llnode;
-
-	llnode = llist_del_all(&free_list);
-        llist_for_each_entry_safe(ei, tmp, llnode, llist) {
-		/* This dput() matches the dget() from unhook_dentry() */
-		for (int i = 0; i < ei->nr_entries; i++) {
-			if (ei->d_children[i])
-				dput(ei->d_children[i]);
-		}
-		/* This should only get here if it had a dentry */
-		if (!WARN_ON_ONCE(!ei->dentry))
-			dput(ei->dentry);
-        }
-}
-
-static DECLARE_WORK(eventfs_work, eventfs_workfn);
-
-static void free_rcu_ei(struct rcu_head *head)
-{
-	struct eventfs_inode *ei = container_of(head, struct eventfs_inode, rcu);
-
-	if (ei->dentry) {
-		/* Do not free the ei until all references of dentry are gone */
-		if (llist_add(&ei->llist, &free_list))
-			queue_work(system_unbound_wq, &eventfs_work);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	/* If the ei doesn't have a dentry, neither should its children */
-	for (int i = 0; i < ei->nr_entries; i++) {
-		WARN_ON_ONCE(ei->d_children[i]);
-	}
-
-	free_ei(ei);
-}
-
-static void unhook_dentry(struct dentry *dentry)
-{
-	if (!dentry)
-		return;
-	/*
-	 * Need to add a reference to the dentry that is expected by
-	 * simple_recursive_removal(), which will include a dput().
-	 */
-	dget(dentry);
-
-	/*
-	 * Also add a reference for the dput() in eventfs_workfn().
-	 * That is required as that dput() will free the ei after
-	 * the SRCU grace period is over.
-	 */
-	dget(dentry);
-}
-
 /**
  * eventfs_remove_rec - remove eventfs dir or file from list
  * @ei: eventfs_inode to be removed.
@@ -862,8 +787,6 @@ static void eventfs_remove_rec(struct eventfs_inode *ei, int level)
 {
 	struct eventfs_inode *ei_child;
 
-	if (!ei)
-		return;
 	/*
 	 * Check recursion depth. It should never be greater than 3:
 	 * 0 - events/
@@ -875,28 +798,12 @@ static void eventfs_remove_rec(struct eventfs_inode *ei, int level)
 		return;
 
 	/* search for nested folders or files */
-	list_for_each_entry_srcu(ei_child, &ei->children, list,
-				 lockdep_is_held(&eventfs_mutex)) {
-		/* Children only have dentry if parent does */
-		WARN_ON_ONCE(ei_child->dentry && !ei->dentry);
+	list_for_each_entry(ei_child, &ei->children, list)
 		eventfs_remove_rec(ei_child, level + 1);
-	}
-
 
 	ei->is_freed = 1;
-
-	for (int i = 0; i < ei->nr_entries; i++) {
-		if (ei->d_children[i]) {
-			/* Children only have dentry if parent does */
-			WARN_ON_ONCE(!ei->dentry);
-			unhook_dentry(ei->d_children[i]);
-		}
-	}
-
-	unhook_dentry(ei->dentry);
-
-	list_del_rcu(&ei->list);
-	call_srcu(&eventfs_srcu, &ei->rcu, free_rcu_ei);
+	list_del(&ei->list);
+	put_ei(ei);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -907,22 +814,12 @@ static void eventfs_remove_rec(struct eventfs_inode *ei, int level)
  */
 void eventfs_remove_dir(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
 {
-	struct dentry *dentry;
-
 	if (!ei)
 		return;
 
 	mutex_lock(&eventfs_mutex);
-	dentry = ei->dentry;
 	eventfs_remove_rec(ei, 0);
 	mutex_unlock(&eventfs_mutex);
-
-	/*
-	 * If any of the ei children has a dentry, then the ei itself
-	 * must have a dentry.
-	 */
-	if (dentry)
-		simple_recursive_removal(dentry, NULL);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -935,7 +832,11 @@ void eventfs_remove_events_dir(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
 {
 	struct dentry *dentry;
 
-	dentry = ei->dentry;
+	dentry = ei->events_dir;
+	if (!dentry)
+		return;
+
+	ei->events_dir = NULL;
 	eventfs_remove_dir(ei);
 
 	/*
@@ -945,5 +846,6 @@ void eventfs_remove_events_dir(struct eventfs_inode *ei)
 	 * sticks around while the other ei->dentry are created
 	 * and destroyed dynamically.
 	 */
+	d_invalidate(dentry);
 	dput(dentry);
 }
diff --git a/fs/tracefs/internal.h b/fs/tracefs/internal.h
index 4b50a0668055ba..1886f1826cd83a 100644
--- a/fs/tracefs/internal.h
+++ b/fs/tracefs/internal.h
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ struct eventfs_attr {
  * @entries:	the array of entries representing the files in the directory
  * @name:	the name of the directory to create
  * @children:	link list into the child eventfs_inode
- * @dentry:     the dentry of the directory
- * @d_children: The array of dentries to represent the files when created
+ * @events_dir: the dentry of the events directory
  * @entry_attrs: Saved mode and ownership of the @d_children
  * @attr:	Saved mode and ownership of eventfs_inode itself
  * @data:	The private data to pass to the callbacks
@@ -45,12 +44,12 @@ struct eventfs_attr {
  * @nr_entries: The number of items in @entries
  */
 struct eventfs_inode {
+	struct kref			kref;
 	struct list_head		list;
 	const struct eventfs_entry	*entries;
 	const char			*name;
 	struct list_head		children;
-	struct dentry			*dentry; /* Check is_freed to access */
-	struct dentry			**d_children;
+	struct dentry			*events_dir;
 	struct eventfs_attr		*entry_attrs;
 	struct eventfs_attr		attr;
 	void				*data;