diff --git a/fs/ext4/namei.c b/fs/ext4/namei.c
index 6c7eba426a67..ab7baf529917 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/namei.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/namei.c
@@ -3788,14 +3788,14 @@ static int ext4_rename(struct inode *old_dir, struct dentry *old_dentry,
 	 */
 	retval = -ENOENT;
 	if (!old.bh || le32_to_cpu(old.de->inode) != old.inode->i_ino)
-		goto end_rename;
+		goto release_bh;
 
 	new.bh = ext4_find_entry(new.dir, &new.dentry->d_name,
 				 &new.de, &new.inlined);
 	if (IS_ERR(new.bh)) {
 		retval = PTR_ERR(new.bh);
 		new.bh = NULL;
-		goto end_rename;
+		goto release_bh;
 	}
 	if (new.bh) {
 		if (!new.inode) {
@@ -3812,15 +3812,13 @@ static int ext4_rename(struct inode *old_dir, struct dentry *old_dentry,
 		handle = ext4_journal_start(old.dir, EXT4_HT_DIR, credits);
 		if (IS_ERR(handle)) {
 			retval = PTR_ERR(handle);
-			handle = NULL;
-			goto end_rename;
+			goto release_bh;
 		}
 	} else {
 		whiteout = ext4_whiteout_for_rename(&old, credits, &handle);
 		if (IS_ERR(whiteout)) {
 			retval = PTR_ERR(whiteout);
-			whiteout = NULL;
-			goto end_rename;
+			goto release_bh;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -3957,16 +3955,18 @@ static int ext4_rename(struct inode *old_dir, struct dentry *old_dentry,
 			ext4_resetent(handle, &old,
 				      old.inode->i_ino, old_file_type);
 			drop_nlink(whiteout);
+			ext4_orphan_add(handle, whiteout);
 		}
 		unlock_new_inode(whiteout);
+		ext4_journal_stop(handle);
 		iput(whiteout);
-
+	} else {
+		ext4_journal_stop(handle);
 	}
+release_bh:
 	brelse(old.dir_bh);
 	brelse(old.bh);
 	brelse(new.bh);
-	if (handle)
-		ext4_journal_stop(handle);
 	return retval;
 }