diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/namei.c b/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
index 814733ba2f4b..9221a33f917b 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
@@ -1336,7 +1336,7 @@ static int ocfs2_rename(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 		goto bail;
 	}
 
-	if (S_ISDIR(old_inode->i_mode)) {
+	if (S_ISDIR(old_inode->i_mode) && new_dir != old_dir) {
 		u64 old_inode_parent;
 
 		update_dot_dot = 1;
@@ -1353,8 +1353,7 @@ static int ocfs2_rename(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 			goto bail;
 		}
 
-		if (!new_inode && new_dir != old_dir &&
-		    new_dir->i_nlink >= ocfs2_link_max(osb)) {
+		if (!new_inode && new_dir->i_nlink >= ocfs2_link_max(osb)) {
 			status = -EMLINK;
 			goto bail;
 		}
@@ -1601,6 +1600,9 @@ static int ocfs2_rename(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 			mlog_errno(status);
 			goto bail;
 		}
+	}
+
+	if (S_ISDIR(old_inode->i_mode)) {
 		drop_nlink(old_dir);
 		if (new_inode) {
 			drop_nlink(new_inode);