diff --git a/kernel/ucount.c b/kernel/ucount.c
index 7b32c356ebc5ca..65b597431c861a 100644
--- a/kernel/ucount.c
+++ b/kernel/ucount.c
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ struct ucounts *alloc_ucounts(struct user_namespace *ns, kuid_t uid)
 			kfree(new);
 		} else {
 			hlist_add_head(&new->node, hashent);
+			get_user_ns(new->ns);
 			spin_unlock_irq(&ucounts_lock);
 			return new;
 		}
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@ void put_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts)
 	if (atomic_dec_and_lock_irqsave(&ucounts->count, &ucounts_lock, flags)) {
 		hlist_del_init(&ucounts->node);
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ucounts_lock, flags);
+		put_user_ns(ucounts->ns);
 		kfree(ucounts);
 	}
 }