diff --git a/fs/super.c b/fs/super.c
index bab11ba..0413f51 100644
--- a/fs/super.c
+++ b/fs/super.c
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@
 	spin_unlock(&sb_lock);
 
 	if (down_read_trylock(&sb->s_umount)) {
-		if (sb->s_root)
+		if (sb->s_root && (sb->s_flags & MS_BORN))
 			return true;
 		up_read(&sb->s_umount);
 	}
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@
 			spin_unlock(&sb_lock);
 
 			down_read(&sb->s_umount);
-			if (sb->s_root && sb->s_dirt)
+			if (sb->s_root && sb->s_dirt && (sb->s_flags & MS_BORN))
 				sb->s_op->write_super(sb);
 			up_read(&sb->s_umount);
 
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@
 		spin_unlock(&sb_lock);
 
 		down_read(&sb->s_umount);
-		if (sb->s_root)
+		if (sb->s_root && (sb->s_flags & MS_BORN))
 			f(sb, arg);
 		up_read(&sb->s_umount);
 
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@
 		spin_unlock(&sb_lock);
 
 		down_read(&sb->s_umount);
-		if (sb->s_root)
+		if (sb->s_root && (sb->s_flags & MS_BORN))
 			f(sb, arg);
 		up_read(&sb->s_umount);
 
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@
 			spin_unlock(&sb_lock);
 			down_read(&sb->s_umount);
 			/* still alive? */
-			if (sb->s_root)
+			if (sb->s_root && (sb->s_flags & MS_BORN))
 				return sb;
 			up_read(&sb->s_umount);
 			/* nope, got unmounted */
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@
 			spin_unlock(&sb_lock);
 			down_read(&sb->s_umount);
 			/* still alive? */
-			if (sb->s_root)
+			if (sb->s_root && (sb->s_flags & MS_BORN))
 				return sb;
 			up_read(&sb->s_umount);
 			/* nope, got unmounted */
@@ -763,7 +763,8 @@
 		sb->s_count++;
 		spin_unlock(&sb_lock);
 		down_write(&sb->s_umount);
-		if (sb->s_root && sb->s_bdev && !(sb->s_flags & MS_RDONLY)) {
+		if (sb->s_root && sb->s_bdev && (sb->s_flags & MS_BORN) &&
+		    !(sb->s_flags & MS_RDONLY)) {
 			/*
 			 * What lock protects sb->s_flags??
 			 */
@@ -1146,6 +1147,11 @@
 		return -EBUSY;
 	}
 
+	if (!(sb->s_flags & MS_BORN)) {
+		up_write(&sb->s_umount);
+		return 0;	/* sic - it's "nothing to do" */
+	}
+
 	if (sb->s_flags & MS_RDONLY) {
 		sb->s_frozen = SB_FREEZE_TRANS;
 		smp_wmb();