diff --git a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
index fa1a1679a8866..609ccb5b7cfcd 100644
--- a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
+++ b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
@@ -185,17 +185,27 @@ static struct dentry *create_dir(const char *name, struct dentry *parent, void *
 
 /**
  * eventfs_set_ef_status_free - set the ef->status to free
+ * @ti: the tracefs_inode of the dentry
  * @dentry: dentry who's status to be freed
  *
  * eventfs_set_ef_status_free will be called if no more
  * references remain
  */
-void eventfs_set_ef_status_free(struct dentry *dentry)
+void eventfs_set_ef_status_free(struct tracefs_inode *ti, struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	struct tracefs_inode *ti_parent;
+	struct eventfs_inode *ei;
 	struct eventfs_file *ef;
 
 	mutex_lock(&eventfs_mutex);
+
+	/* The top level events directory may be freed by this */
+	if (unlikely(ti->flags & TRACEFS_EVENT_TOP_INODE)) {
+		ei = ti->private;
+		kfree(ei);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	ti_parent = get_tracefs(dentry->d_parent->d_inode);
 	if (!ti_parent || !(ti_parent->flags & TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE))
 		goto out;
@@ -510,7 +520,7 @@ struct dentry *eventfs_create_events_dir(const char *name,
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ei->e_top_files);
 
 	ti = get_tracefs(inode);
-	ti->flags |= TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE;
+	ti->flags |= TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE | TRACEFS_EVENT_TOP_INODE;
 	ti->private = ei;
 
 	inode->i_mode = S_IFDIR | S_IRWXU | S_IRUGO | S_IXUGO;
@@ -806,7 +816,6 @@ void eventfs_remove(struct eventfs_file *ef)
 void eventfs_remove_events_dir(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	struct tracefs_inode *ti;
-	struct eventfs_inode *ei;
 
 	if (!dentry || !dentry->d_inode)
 		return;
@@ -815,8 +824,6 @@ void eventfs_remove_events_dir(struct dentry *dentry)
 	if (!ti || !(ti->flags & TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE))
 		return;
 
-	ei = ti->private;
 	d_invalidate(dentry);
 	dput(dentry);
-	kfree(ei);
 }
diff --git a/fs/tracefs/inode.c b/fs/tracefs/inode.c
index 3b8dd938b1c8f..891653ba9cf35 100644
--- a/fs/tracefs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/tracefs/inode.c
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ static void tracefs_dentry_iput(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode *inode)
 
 	ti = get_tracefs(inode);
 	if (ti && ti->flags & TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE)
-		eventfs_set_ef_status_free(dentry);
+		eventfs_set_ef_status_free(ti, dentry);
 	iput(inode);
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/tracefs/internal.h b/fs/tracefs/internal.h
index 69c2b1d87c464..4f2e49e2197b1 100644
--- a/fs/tracefs/internal.h
+++ b/fs/tracefs/internal.h
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 #define _TRACEFS_INTERNAL_H
 
 enum {
-	TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE     = BIT(1),
+	TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE		= BIT(1),
+	TRACEFS_EVENT_TOP_INODE		= BIT(2),
 };
 
 struct tracefs_inode {
@@ -24,6 +25,6 @@ struct inode *tracefs_get_inode(struct super_block *sb);
 struct dentry *eventfs_start_creating(const char *name, struct dentry *parent);
 struct dentry *eventfs_failed_creating(struct dentry *dentry);
 struct dentry *eventfs_end_creating(struct dentry *dentry);
-void eventfs_set_ef_status_free(struct dentry *dentry);
+void eventfs_set_ef_status_free(struct tracefs_inode *ti, struct dentry *dentry);
 
 #endif /* _TRACEFS_INTERNAL_H */