diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
index 56eee9f..0c28e5f 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
@@ -415,13 +415,13 @@ int ovl_set_attr(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *upperdentry,
 	return err;
 }
 
-struct ovl_fh *ovl_encode_real_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *real,
+struct ovl_fh *ovl_encode_real_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct inode *realinode,
 				  bool is_upper)
 {
 	struct ovl_fh *fh;
 	int fh_type, dwords;
 	int buflen = MAX_HANDLE_SZ;
-	uuid_t *uuid = &real->d_sb->s_uuid;
+	uuid_t *uuid = &realinode->i_sb->s_uuid;
 	int err;
 
 	/* Make sure the real fid stays 32bit aligned */
@@ -438,7 +438,8 @@ struct ovl_fh *ovl_encode_real_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *real,
 	 * the price or reconnecting the dentry.
 	 */
 	dwords = buflen >> 2;
-	fh_type = exportfs_encode_fh(real, (void *)fh->fb.fid, &dwords, 0);
+	fh_type = exportfs_encode_inode_fh(realinode, (void *)fh->fb.fid,
+					   &dwords, NULL, 0);
 	buflen = (dwords << 2);
 
 	err = -EIO;
@@ -479,7 +480,7 @@ struct ovl_fh *ovl_get_origin_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *origin)
 	if (!ovl_can_decode_fh(origin->d_sb))
 		return NULL;
 
-	return ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, origin, false);
+	return ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, d_inode(origin), false);
 }
 
 int ovl_set_origin_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, const struct ovl_fh *fh,
@@ -504,7 +505,7 @@ static int ovl_set_upper_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *upper,
 	const struct ovl_fh *fh;
 	int err;
 
-	fh = ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, upper, true);
+	fh = ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, d_inode(upper), true);
 	if (IS_ERR(fh))
 		return PTR_ERR(fh);
 
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/export.c b/fs/overlayfs/export.c
index 5868cb2..444aeec 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/export.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/export.c
@@ -176,35 +176,37 @@ static int ovl_connect_layer(struct dentry *dentry)
  *
  * Return 0 for upper file handle, > 0 for lower file handle or < 0 on error.
  */
-static int ovl_check_encode_origin(struct dentry *dentry)
+static int ovl_check_encode_origin(struct inode *inode)
 {
-	struct ovl_fs *ofs = OVL_FS(dentry->d_sb);
+	struct ovl_fs *ofs = OVL_FS(inode->i_sb);
 	bool decodable = ofs->config.nfs_export;
+	struct dentry *dentry;
+	int err;
 
 	/* No upper layer? */
 	if (!ovl_upper_mnt(ofs))
 		return 1;
 
 	/* Lower file handle for non-upper non-decodable */
-	if (!ovl_dentry_upper(dentry) && !decodable)
+	if (!ovl_inode_upper(inode) && !decodable)
 		return 1;
 
 	/* Upper file handle for pure upper */
-	if (!ovl_dentry_lower(dentry))
+	if (!ovl_inode_lower(inode))
 		return 0;
 
 	/*
 	 * Root is never indexed, so if there's an upper layer, encode upper for
 	 * root.
 	 */
-	if (dentry == dentry->d_sb->s_root)
+	if (inode == d_inode(inode->i_sb->s_root))
 		return 0;
 
 	/*
 	 * Upper decodable file handle for non-indexed upper.
 	 */
-	if (ovl_dentry_upper(dentry) && decodable &&
-	    !ovl_test_flag(OVL_INDEX, d_inode(dentry)))
+	if (ovl_inode_upper(inode) && decodable &&
+	    !ovl_test_flag(OVL_INDEX, inode))
 		return 0;
 
 	/*
@@ -213,14 +215,23 @@ static int ovl_check_encode_origin(struct dentry *dentry)
 	 * ovl_connect_layer() will try to make origin's layer "connected" by
 	 * copying up a "connectable" ancestor.
 	 */
-	if (d_is_dir(dentry) && decodable)
-		return ovl_connect_layer(dentry);
+	if (!decodable || !S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode))
+		return 1;
+
+	dentry = d_find_any_alias(inode);
+	if (!dentry)
+		return -ENOENT;
+
+	err = ovl_connect_layer(dentry);
+	dput(dentry);
+	if (err < 0)
+		return err;
 
 	/* Lower file handle for indexed and non-upper dir/non-dir */
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static int ovl_dentry_to_fid(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *dentry,
+static int ovl_dentry_to_fid(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct inode *inode,
 			     u32 *fid, int buflen)
 {
 	struct ovl_fh *fh = NULL;
@@ -231,13 +242,13 @@ static int ovl_dentry_to_fid(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *dentry,
 	 * Check if we should encode a lower or upper file handle and maybe
 	 * copy up an ancestor to make lower file handle connectable.
 	 */
-	err = enc_lower = ovl_check_encode_origin(dentry);
+	err = enc_lower = ovl_check_encode_origin(inode);
 	if (enc_lower < 0)
 		goto fail;
 
 	/* Encode an upper or lower file handle */
-	fh = ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, enc_lower ? ovl_dentry_lower(dentry) :
-				ovl_dentry_upper(dentry), !enc_lower);
+	fh = ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, enc_lower ? ovl_inode_lower(inode) :
+				ovl_inode_upper(inode), !enc_lower);
 	if (IS_ERR(fh))
 		return PTR_ERR(fh);
 
@@ -251,8 +262,8 @@ out:
 	return err;
 
 fail:
-	pr_warn_ratelimited("failed to encode file handle (%pd2, err=%i)\n",
-			    dentry, err);
+	pr_warn_ratelimited("failed to encode file handle (ino=%lu, err=%i)\n",
+			    inode->i_ino, err);
 	goto out;
 }
 
@@ -260,19 +271,13 @@ static int ovl_encode_fh(struct inode *inode, u32 *fid, int *max_len,
 			 struct inode *parent)
 {
 	struct ovl_fs *ofs = OVL_FS(inode->i_sb);
-	struct dentry *dentry;
 	int bytes, buflen = *max_len << 2;
 
 	/* TODO: encode connectable file handles */
 	if (parent)
 		return FILEID_INVALID;
 
-	dentry = d_find_any_alias(inode);
-	if (!dentry)
-		return FILEID_INVALID;
-
-	bytes = ovl_dentry_to_fid(ofs, dentry, fid, buflen);
-	dput(dentry);
+	bytes = ovl_dentry_to_fid(ofs, inode, fid, buflen);
 	if (bytes <= 0)
 		return FILEID_INVALID;
 
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/namei.c b/fs/overlayfs/namei.c
index 7e27b7d..cea820c 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/namei.c
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ int ovl_verify_origin_xattr(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *dentry,
 	struct ovl_fh *fh;
 	int err;
 
-	fh = ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, real, is_upper);
+	fh = ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, d_inode(real), is_upper);
 	err = PTR_ERR(fh);
 	if (IS_ERR(fh)) {
 		fh = NULL;
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ int ovl_get_index_name(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *origin,
 	struct ovl_fh *fh;
 	int err;
 
-	fh = ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, origin, false);
+	fh = ovl_encode_real_fh(ofs, d_inode(origin), false);
 	if (IS_ERR(fh))
 		return PTR_ERR(fh);
 
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
index b361f35..0021e20 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@ int ovl_copy_up_with_data(struct dentry *dentry);
 int ovl_maybe_copy_up(struct dentry *dentry, int flags);
 int ovl_copy_xattr(struct super_block *sb, const struct path *path, struct dentry *new);
 int ovl_set_attr(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *upper, struct kstat *stat);
-struct ovl_fh *ovl_encode_real_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *real,
+struct ovl_fh *ovl_encode_real_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct inode *realinode,
 				  bool is_upper);
 struct ovl_fh *ovl_get_origin_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, struct dentry *origin);
 int ovl_set_origin_fh(struct ovl_fs *ofs, const struct ovl_fh *fh,