diff --git a/fs/minix/inode.c b/fs/minix/inode.c
index b6829d679643..97a6ec14431f 100644
--- a/fs/minix/inode.c
+++ b/fs/minix/inode.c
@@ -471,6 +471,13 @@ static struct inode *V1_minix_iget(struct inode *inode)
 		iget_failed(inode);
 		return ERR_PTR(-EIO);
 	}
+	if (raw_inode->i_nlinks == 0) {
+		printk("MINIX-fs: deleted inode referenced: %lu\n",
+		       inode->i_ino);
+		brelse(bh);
+		iget_failed(inode);
+		return ERR_PTR(-ESTALE);
+	}
 	inode->i_mode = raw_inode->i_mode;
 	i_uid_write(inode, raw_inode->i_uid);
 	i_gid_write(inode, raw_inode->i_gid);
@@ -504,6 +511,13 @@ static struct inode *V2_minix_iget(struct inode *inode)
 		iget_failed(inode);
 		return ERR_PTR(-EIO);
 	}
+	if (raw_inode->i_nlinks == 0) {
+		printk("MINIX-fs: deleted inode referenced: %lu\n",
+		       inode->i_ino);
+		brelse(bh);
+		iget_failed(inode);
+		return ERR_PTR(-ESTALE);
+	}
 	inode->i_mode = raw_inode->i_mode;
 	i_uid_write(inode, raw_inode->i_uid);
 	i_gid_write(inode, raw_inode->i_gid);