diff --git a/fs/dlm/plock.c b/fs/dlm/plock.c
index 01fd5c11a7fb..f704458ea5f5 100644
--- a/fs/dlm/plock.c
+++ b/fs/dlm/plock.c
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ int dlm_posix_unlock(dlm_lockspace_t *lockspace, u64 number, struct file *file,
 	struct dlm_ls *ls;
 	struct plock_op *op;
 	int rv;
+	unsigned char fl_flags = fl->fl_flags;
 
 	ls = dlm_find_lockspace_local(lockspace);
 	if (!ls)
@@ -258,9 +259,18 @@ int dlm_posix_unlock(dlm_lockspace_t *lockspace, u64 number, struct file *file,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (posix_lock_file_wait(file, fl) < 0)
-		log_error(ls, "dlm_posix_unlock: vfs unlock error %llx",
-			  (unsigned long long)number);
+	/* cause the vfs unlock to return ENOENT if lock is not found */
+	fl->fl_flags |= FL_EXISTS;
+
+	rv = posix_lock_file_wait(file, fl);
+	if (rv == -ENOENT) {
+		rv = 0;
+		goto out_free;
+	}
+	if (rv < 0) {
+		log_error(ls, "dlm_posix_unlock: vfs unlock error %d %llx",
+			  rv, (unsigned long long)number);
+	}
 
 	op->info.optype		= DLM_PLOCK_OP_UNLOCK;
 	op->info.pid		= fl->fl_pid;
@@ -296,9 +306,11 @@ int dlm_posix_unlock(dlm_lockspace_t *lockspace, u64 number, struct file *file,
 	if (rv == -ENOENT)
 		rv = 0;
 
+out_free:
 	kfree(op);
 out:
 	dlm_put_lockspace(ls);
+	fl->fl_flags = fl_flags;
 	return rv;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(dlm_posix_unlock);