diff --git a/fs/gfs2/acl.c b/fs/gfs2/acl.c
index ff0ac96a8e7b..db4c867369b5 100644
--- a/fs/gfs2/acl.c
+++ b/fs/gfs2/acl.c
@@ -78,8 +78,11 @@ int gfs2_set_acl(struct inode *inode, struct posix_acl *acl, int type)
 
 	if (type == ACL_TYPE_ACCESS) {
 		umode_t mode = inode->i_mode;
-
+		struct posix_acl *old_acl = acl;
 		error = posix_acl_update_mode(inode, &inode->i_mode, &acl);
+
+		if (!acl)
+			posix_acl_release(old_acl);
 		if (error)
 			return error;
 		if (mode != inode->i_mode)
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_acl.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_acl.c
index c5101a3295d8..62ba66e1c598 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_acl.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_acl.c
@@ -289,8 +289,10 @@ xfs_set_acl(struct inode *inode, struct posix_acl *acl, int type)
 
 	if (type == ACL_TYPE_ACCESS) {
 		umode_t mode;
-
+		struct posix_acl *old_acl = acl;
 		error = posix_acl_update_mode(inode, &mode, &acl);
+		if (!acl)
+			posix_acl_release(old_acl);
 		if (error)
 			return error;
 		error = xfs_set_mode(inode, mode);