diff --git a/fs/debugfs/inode.c b/fs/debugfs/inode.c
index 4888cb3..c7c83ff 100644
--- a/fs/debugfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/debugfs/inode.c
@@ -533,8 +533,7 @@
  */
 void debugfs_remove_recursive(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	struct dentry *child;
-	struct dentry *parent;
+	struct dentry *child, *next, *parent;
 
 	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(dentry))
 		return;
@@ -544,61 +543,37 @@
 		return;
 
 	parent = dentry;
+ down:
 	mutex_lock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(child, next, &parent->d_subdirs, d_u.d_child) {
+		if (!debugfs_positive(child))
+			continue;
 
-	while (1) {
-		/*
-		 * When all dentries under "parent" has been removed,
-		 * walk up the tree until we reach our starting point.
-		 */
-		if (list_empty(&parent->d_subdirs)) {
-			mutex_unlock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
-			if (parent == dentry)
-				break;
-			parent = parent->d_parent;
-			mutex_lock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
-		}
-		child = list_entry(parent->d_subdirs.next, struct dentry,
-				d_u.d_child);
- next_sibling:
-
-		/*
-		 * If "child" isn't empty, walk down the tree and
-		 * remove all its descendants first.
-		 */
+		/* perhaps simple_empty(child) makes more sense */
 		if (!list_empty(&child->d_subdirs)) {
 			mutex_unlock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
 			parent = child;
-			mutex_lock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
-			continue;
+			goto down;
 		}
-		__debugfs_remove(child, parent);
-		if (parent->d_subdirs.next == &child->d_u.d_child) {
-			/*
-			 * Try the next sibling.
-			 */
-			if (child->d_u.d_child.next != &parent->d_subdirs) {
-				child = list_entry(child->d_u.d_child.next,
-						   struct dentry,
-						   d_u.d_child);
-				goto next_sibling;
-			}
-
-			/*
-			 * Avoid infinite loop if we fail to remove
-			 * one dentry.
-			 */
-			mutex_unlock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
-			break;
-		}
-		simple_release_fs(&debugfs_mount, &debugfs_mount_count);
+ up:
+		if (!__debugfs_remove(child, parent))
+			simple_release_fs(&debugfs_mount, &debugfs_mount_count);
 	}
 
-	parent = dentry->d_parent;
-	mutex_lock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
-	__debugfs_remove(dentry, parent);
 	mutex_unlock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
-	simple_release_fs(&debugfs_mount, &debugfs_mount_count);
+	child = parent;
+	parent = parent->d_parent;
+	mutex_lock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
+
+	if (child != dentry) {
+		next = list_entry(child->d_u.d_child.next, struct dentry,
+					d_u.d_child);
+		goto up;
+	}
+
+	if (!__debugfs_remove(child, parent))
+		simple_release_fs(&debugfs_mount, &debugfs_mount_count);
+	mutex_unlock(&parent->d_inode->i_mutex);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(debugfs_remove_recursive);