diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index 3d9511e656ab..d7c0cac56d89 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -3260,6 +3260,10 @@ static int do_last(struct nameidata *nd,
 		got_write = false;
 	}
 
+	error = follow_managed(&path, nd);
+	if (unlikely(error < 0))
+		return error;
+
 	if (unlikely(d_is_negative(path.dentry))) {
 		path_to_nameidata(&path, nd);
 		return -ENOENT;
@@ -3275,10 +3279,6 @@ static int do_last(struct nameidata *nd,
 		return -EEXIST;
 	}
 
-	error = follow_managed(&path, nd);
-	if (unlikely(error < 0))
-		return error;
-
 	seq = 0;	/* out of RCU mode, so the value doesn't matter */
 	inode = d_backing_inode(path.dentry);
 finish_lookup: