diff --git a/fs/nfs/dir.c b/fs/nfs/dir.c
index 8789210c6905a6..53ad9d1c37e4bd 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/dir.c
@@ -1103,7 +1103,7 @@ static int nfs_lookup_revalidate(struct dentry *dentry, struct nameidata *nd)
 	struct nfs_fattr *fattr = NULL;
 	int error;
 
-	if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU)
+	if (nd && (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU))
 		return -ECHILD;
 
 	parent = dget_parent(dentry);
@@ -1502,7 +1502,7 @@ static int nfs_open_revalidate(struct dentry *dentry, struct nameidata *nd)
 	struct iattr attr;
 	int openflags, ret = 0;
 
-	if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU)
+	if (nd && (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU))
 		return -ECHILD;
 
 	inode = dentry->d_inode;