diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index d41fab78798b2e..19dcf62133cc95 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -2145,6 +2145,9 @@ static const char *path_init(struct nameidata *nd, unsigned flags)
 	int retval = 0;
 	const char *s = nd->name->name;
 
+	if (!*s)
+		flags &= ~LOOKUP_RCU;
+
 	nd->last_type = LAST_ROOT; /* if there are only slashes... */
 	nd->flags = flags | LOOKUP_JUMPED | LOOKUP_PARENT;
 	nd->depth = 0;