diff --git a/src/Cache_inode/cache_inode_lru.c b/src/Cache_inode/cache_inode_lru.c
index 494fc6a309..1686342853 100644
--- a/src/Cache_inode/cache_inode_lru.c
+++ b/src/Cache_inode/cache_inode_lru.c
@@ -536,6 +536,7 @@ lru_try_reap_entry(struct lru_q_base *q)
      if (lru->refcount > LRU_SENTINEL_REFCOUNT + 1) {
           /* Someone took a reference while we were waiting for the
              queue.  */
+          --(lru->refcount);
           pthread_mutex_unlock(&lru->mtx);
           pthread_mutex_unlock(&q->mtx);
           return NULL;
@@ -1161,6 +1162,7 @@ cache_inode_lru_get(cache_inode_client_t *client,
                        "pthread_mutex_init of lru.mtx returned %d (%s)",
                        errno,
                        strerror(errno));
+               entry = NULL;
                *status = CACHE_INODE_INIT_ENTRY_FAILED;
                goto out;
           }
diff --git a/src/Cache_inode/cache_inode_misc.c b/src/Cache_inode/cache_inode_misc.c
index d889f06bb6..1d2b0f81ed 100644
--- a/src/Cache_inode/cache_inode_misc.c
+++ b/src/Cache_inode/cache_inode_misc.c
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ cache_inode_new_entry(cache_inode_fsal_data_t *fsdata,
           *status = CACHE_INODE_MALLOC_ERROR;
           goto out;
      }
+     assert(entry->lru.refcount > 1);
      /* This should be the sentinel, plus one to use the entry we
         just returned. */
      lrurefed = TRUE;
@@ -444,7 +445,7 @@ cache_inode_new_entry(cache_inode_fsal_data_t *fsdata,
           if (latched) {
                HashTable_ReleaseLatched(fh_to_cache_entry_ht, &latch);
           }
-          if (lrurefed) {
+          if (lrurefed && *status != CACHE_INODE_ENTRY_EXISTS) {
                cache_inode_lru_unref(entry, client, LRU_FLAG_NONE);
           }
           if (*status != CACHE_INODE_ENTRY_EXISTS) {