diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index a3fde77..96ca11d 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -118,15 +118,6 @@
  * POSIX.1 2.4: an empty pathname is invalid (ENOENT).
  * PATH_MAX includes the nul terminator --RR.
  */
-void final_putname(struct filename *name)
-{
-	if (name->separate) {
-		__putname(name->name);
-		kfree(name);
-	} else {
-		__putname(name);
-	}
-}
 
 #define EMBEDDED_NAME_MAX	(PATH_MAX - sizeof(struct filename))
 
@@ -145,6 +136,7 @@
 	result = __getname();
 	if (unlikely(!result))
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+	result->refcnt = 1;
 
 	/*
 	 * First, try to embed the struct filename inside the names_cache
@@ -179,6 +171,7 @@
 		}
 		result->name = kname;
 		result->separate = true;
+		result->refcnt = 1;
 		max = PATH_MAX;
 		goto recopy;
 	}
@@ -202,7 +195,7 @@
 	return result;
 
 error:
-	final_putname(result);
+	putname(result);
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -243,19 +236,25 @@
 	memcpy((char *)result->name, filename, len);
 	result->uptr = NULL;
 	result->aname = NULL;
+	result->refcnt = 1;
 	audit_getname(result);
 
 	return result;
 }
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_AUDITSYSCALL
 void putname(struct filename *name)
 {
-	if (unlikely(!audit_dummy_context()))
-		return audit_putname(name);
-	final_putname(name);
+	BUG_ON(name->refcnt <= 0);
+
+	if (--name->refcnt > 0)
+		return;
+
+	if (name->separate) {
+		__putname(name->name);
+		kfree(name);
+	} else
+		__putname(name);
 }
-#endif
 
 static int check_acl(struct inode *inode, int mask)
 {
diff --git a/include/linux/audit.h b/include/linux/audit.h
index af84234..87c2d34 100644
--- a/include/linux/audit.h
+++ b/include/linux/audit.h
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@
 extern void __audit_syscall_exit(int ret_success, long ret_value);
 extern struct filename *__audit_reusename(const __user char *uptr);
 extern void __audit_getname(struct filename *name);
-extern void audit_putname(struct filename *name);
 
 #define AUDIT_INODE_PARENT	1	/* dentry represents the parent */
 #define AUDIT_INODE_HIDDEN	2	/* audit record should be hidden */
@@ -353,8 +352,6 @@
 }
 static inline void audit_getname(struct filename *name)
 { }
-static inline void audit_putname(struct filename *name)
-{ }
 static inline void __audit_inode(struct filename *name,
 					const struct dentry *dentry,
 					unsigned int flags)
diff --git a/include/linux/fs.h b/include/linux/fs.h
index f90c028..b49842f 100644
--- a/include/linux/fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/fs.h
@@ -2080,6 +2080,7 @@
 	const char		*name;	/* pointer to actual string */
 	const __user char	*uptr;	/* original userland pointer */
 	struct audit_names	*aname;
+	int			refcnt;
 	bool			separate; /* should "name" be freed? */
 };
 
@@ -2101,6 +2102,7 @@
 extern struct filename *getname_flags(const char __user *, int, int *);
 extern struct filename *getname(const char __user *);
 extern struct filename *getname_kernel(const char *);
+extern void putname(struct filename *name);
 
 enum {
 	FILE_CREATED = 1,
@@ -2121,15 +2123,8 @@
 
 extern struct kmem_cache *names_cachep;
 
-extern void final_putname(struct filename *name);
-
 #define __getname()		kmem_cache_alloc(names_cachep, GFP_KERNEL)
 #define __putname(name)		kmem_cache_free(names_cachep, (void *)(name))
-#ifndef CONFIG_AUDITSYSCALL
-#define putname(name)		final_putname(name)
-#else
-extern void putname(struct filename *name);
-#endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BLOCK
 extern int register_blkdev(unsigned int, const char *);
diff --git a/kernel/audit.h b/kernel/audit.h
index 3cdffad..1caa0d3 100644
--- a/kernel/audit.h
+++ b/kernel/audit.h
@@ -24,12 +24,6 @@
 #include <linux/skbuff.h>
 #include <uapi/linux/mqueue.h>
 
-/* 0 = no checking
-   1 = put_count checking
-   2 = verbose put_count checking
-*/
-#define AUDIT_DEBUG 0
-
 /* AUDIT_NAMES is the number of slots we reserve in the audit_context
  * for saving names from getname().  If we get more names we will allocate
  * a name dynamically and also add those to the list anchored by names_list. */
@@ -74,9 +68,8 @@
 	};
 };
 
-/* When fs/namei.c:getname() is called, we store the pointer in name and
- * we don't let putname() free it (instead we free all of the saved
- * pointers at syscall exit time).
+/* When fs/namei.c:getname() is called, we store the pointer in name and bump
+ * the refcnt in the associated filename struct.
  *
  * Further, in fs/namei.c:path_lookup() we store the inode and device.
  */
@@ -86,7 +79,6 @@
 	struct filename		*name;
 	int			name_len;	/* number of chars to log */
 	bool			hidden;		/* don't log this record */
-	bool			name_put;	/* call __putname()? */
 
 	unsigned long		ino;
 	dev_t			dev;
@@ -208,11 +200,6 @@
 	};
 	int fds[2];
 	struct audit_proctitle proctitle;
-
-#if AUDIT_DEBUG
-	int		    put_count;
-	int		    ino_count;
-#endif
 };
 
 extern u32 audit_ever_enabled;
diff --git a/kernel/auditsc.c b/kernel/auditsc.c
index 4f52196..0c38604 100644
--- a/kernel/auditsc.c
+++ b/kernel/auditsc.c
@@ -866,33 +866,10 @@
 {
 	struct audit_names *n, *next;
 
-#if AUDIT_DEBUG == 2
-	if (context->put_count + context->ino_count != context->name_count) {
-		int i = 0;
-
-		pr_err("%s:%d(:%d): major=%d in_syscall=%d"
-		       " name_count=%d put_count=%d ino_count=%d"
-		       " [NOT freeing]\n", __FILE__, __LINE__,
-		       context->serial, context->major, context->in_syscall,
-		       context->name_count, context->put_count,
-		       context->ino_count);
-		list_for_each_entry(n, &context->names_list, list) {
-			pr_err("names[%d] = %p = %s\n", i++, n->name,
-			       n->name->name ?: "(null)");
-		}
-		dump_stack();
-		return;
-	}
-#endif
-#if AUDIT_DEBUG
-	context->put_count  = 0;
-	context->ino_count  = 0;
-#endif
-
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(n, next, &context->names_list, list) {
 		list_del(&n->list);
-		if (n->name && n->name_put)
-			final_putname(n->name);
+		if (n->name)
+			putname(n->name);
 		if (n->should_free)
 			kfree(n);
 	}
@@ -1711,9 +1688,6 @@
 	list_add_tail(&aname->list, &context->names_list);
 
 	context->name_count++;
-#if AUDIT_DEBUG
-	context->ino_count++;
-#endif
 	return aname;
 }
 
@@ -1734,8 +1708,10 @@
 	list_for_each_entry(n, &context->names_list, list) {
 		if (!n->name)
 			continue;
-		if (n->name->uptr == uptr)
+		if (n->name->uptr == uptr) {
+			n->name->refcnt++;
 			return n->name;
+		}
 	}
 	return NULL;
 }
@@ -1752,19 +1728,8 @@
 	struct audit_context *context = current->audit_context;
 	struct audit_names *n;
 
-	if (!context->in_syscall) {
-#if AUDIT_DEBUG == 2
-		pr_err("%s:%d(:%d): ignoring getname(%p)\n",
-		       __FILE__, __LINE__, context->serial, name);
-		dump_stack();
-#endif
+	if (!context->in_syscall)
 		return;
-	}
-
-#if AUDIT_DEBUG
-	/* The filename _must_ have a populated ->name */
-	BUG_ON(!name->name);
-#endif
 
 	n = audit_alloc_name(context, AUDIT_TYPE_UNKNOWN);
 	if (!n)
@@ -1772,56 +1737,13 @@
 
 	n->name = name;
 	n->name_len = AUDIT_NAME_FULL;
-	n->name_put = true;
 	name->aname = n;
+	name->refcnt++;
 
 	if (!context->pwd.dentry)
 		get_fs_pwd(current->fs, &context->pwd);
 }
 
-/* audit_putname - intercept a putname request
- * @name: name to intercept and delay for putname
- *
- * If we have stored the name from getname in the audit context,
- * then we delay the putname until syscall exit.
- * Called from include/linux/fs.h:putname().
- */
-void audit_putname(struct filename *name)
-{
-	struct audit_context *context = current->audit_context;
-
-	BUG_ON(!context);
-	if (!name->aname || !context->in_syscall) {
-#if AUDIT_DEBUG == 2
-		pr_err("%s:%d(:%d): final_putname(%p)\n",
-		       __FILE__, __LINE__, context->serial, name);
-		if (context->name_count) {
-			struct audit_names *n;
-			int i = 0;
-
-			list_for_each_entry(n, &context->names_list, list)
-				pr_err("name[%d] = %p = %s\n", i++, n->name,
-				       n->name->name ?: "(null)");
-			}
-#endif
-		final_putname(name);
-	}
-#if AUDIT_DEBUG
-	else {
-		++context->put_count;
-		if (context->put_count > context->name_count) {
-			pr_err("%s:%d(:%d): major=%d in_syscall=%d putname(%p)"
-			       " name_count=%d put_count=%d\n",
-			       __FILE__, __LINE__,
-			       context->serial, context->major,
-			       context->in_syscall, name->name,
-			       context->name_count, context->put_count);
-			dump_stack();
-		}
-	}
-#endif
-}
-
 /**
  * __audit_inode - store the inode and device from a lookup
  * @name: name being audited
@@ -1842,11 +1764,6 @@
 	if (!name)
 		goto out_alloc;
 
-#if AUDIT_DEBUG
-	/* The struct filename _must_ have a populated ->name */
-	BUG_ON(!name->name);
-#endif
-
 	/*
 	 * If we have a pointer to an audit_names entry already, then we can
 	 * just use it directly if the type is correct.
@@ -1893,9 +1810,10 @@
 	n = audit_alloc_name(context, AUDIT_TYPE_UNKNOWN);
 	if (!n)
 		return;
-	if (name)
-		/* no need to set ->name_put as the original will cleanup */
+	if (name) {
 		n->name = name;
+		name->refcnt++;
+	}
 
 out:
 	if (parent) {
@@ -2000,8 +1918,7 @@
 		if (found_parent) {
 			found_child->name = found_parent->name;
 			found_child->name_len = AUDIT_NAME_FULL;
-			/* don't call __putname() */
-			found_child->name_put = false;
+			found_child->name->refcnt++;
 		}
 	}