diff --git a/fs/gfs2/inode.c b/fs/gfs2/inode.c
index 6bc443644c3c..bab338f6b610 100644
--- a/fs/gfs2/inode.c
+++ b/fs/gfs2/inode.c
@@ -361,8 +361,18 @@ int gfs2_change_nlink(struct gfs2_inode *ip, int diff)
 struct inode *gfs2_lookup_simple(struct inode *dip, const char *name)
 {
 	struct qstr qstr;
+	struct inode *inode;
 	gfs2_str2qstr(&qstr, name);
-	return gfs2_lookupi(dip, &qstr, 1, NULL);
+	inode = gfs2_lookupi(dip, &qstr, 1, NULL);
+	/* gfs2_lookupi has inconsistent callers: vfs
+	 * related routines expect NULL for no entry found,
+	 * gfs2_lookup_simple callers expect ENOENT
+	 * and do not check for NULL.
+	 */
+	if (inode == NULL)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOENT);
+	else
+		return inode;
 }