diff --git a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify_user.c b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify_user.c
index d43803669739..82ae6d783c14 100644
--- a/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify_user.c
+++ b/fs/notify/fanotify/fanotify_user.c
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ static int fanotify_release(struct inode *ignored, struct file *file)
 	wake_up(&group->fanotify_data.access_waitq);
 #endif
 	/* matches the fanotify_init->fsnotify_alloc_group */
-	fsnotify_put_group(group);
+	fsnotify_destroy_group(group);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -728,13 +728,13 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE2(fanotify_init, unsigned int, flags, unsigned int, event_f_flags)
 		break;
 	default:
 		fd = -EINVAL;
-		goto out_put_group;
+		goto out_destroy_group;
 	}
 
 	if (flags & FAN_UNLIMITED_QUEUE) {
 		fd = -EPERM;
 		if (!capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
-			goto out_put_group;
+			goto out_destroy_group;
 		group->max_events = UINT_MAX;
 	} else {
 		group->max_events = FANOTIFY_DEFAULT_MAX_EVENTS;
@@ -743,7 +743,7 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE2(fanotify_init, unsigned int, flags, unsigned int, event_f_flags)
 	if (flags & FAN_UNLIMITED_MARKS) {
 		fd = -EPERM;
 		if (!capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
-			goto out_put_group;
+			goto out_destroy_group;
 		group->fanotify_data.max_marks = UINT_MAX;
 	} else {
 		group->fanotify_data.max_marks = FANOTIFY_DEFAULT_MAX_MARKS;
@@ -751,12 +751,12 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE2(fanotify_init, unsigned int, flags, unsigned int, event_f_flags)
 
 	fd = anon_inode_getfd("[fanotify]", &fanotify_fops, group, f_flags);
 	if (fd < 0)
-		goto out_put_group;
+		goto out_destroy_group;
 
 	return fd;
 
-out_put_group:
-	fsnotify_put_group(group);
+out_destroy_group:
+	fsnotify_destroy_group(group);
 	return fd;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/notify/group.c b/fs/notify/group.c
index 63fc294a4692..cfda328c3d11 100644
--- a/fs/notify/group.c
+++ b/fs/notify/group.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void fsnotify_final_destroy_group(struct fsnotify_group *group)
  * situtation, the fsnotify_final_destroy_group will get called when that final
  * mark is freed.
  */
-static void fsnotify_destroy_group(struct fsnotify_group *group)
+void fsnotify_destroy_group(struct fsnotify_group *group)
 {
 	/* clear all inode marks for this group */
 	fsnotify_clear_marks_by_group(group);
diff --git a/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c b/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c
index 8445fbc8985c..dbafbfc8ceca 100644
--- a/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c
+++ b/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c
@@ -293,10 +293,8 @@ static int inotify_release(struct inode *ignored, struct file *file)
 
 	pr_debug("%s: group=%p\n", __func__, group);
 
-	fsnotify_clear_marks_by_group(group);
-
 	/* free this group, matching get was inotify_init->fsnotify_obtain_group */
-	fsnotify_put_group(group);
+	fsnotify_destroy_group(group);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -712,7 +710,7 @@ static struct fsnotify_group *inotify_new_group(unsigned int max_events)
 
 	if (atomic_inc_return(&group->inotify_data.user->inotify_devs) >
 	    inotify_max_user_instances) {
-		fsnotify_put_group(group);
+		fsnotify_destroy_group(group);
 		return ERR_PTR(-EMFILE);
 	}
 
@@ -741,7 +739,7 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE1(inotify_init1, int, flags)
 	ret = anon_inode_getfd("inotify", &inotify_fops, group,
 				  O_RDONLY | flags);
 	if (ret < 0)
-		fsnotify_put_group(group);
+		fsnotify_destroy_group(group);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/fsnotify_backend.h b/include/linux/fsnotify_backend.h
index 63d966d5c2ea..d2ad345bdeec 100644
--- a/include/linux/fsnotify_backend.h
+++ b/include/linux/fsnotify_backend.h
@@ -364,7 +364,8 @@ static inline void __fsnotify_d_instantiate(struct dentry *dentry, struct inode
 extern struct fsnotify_group *fsnotify_alloc_group(const struct fsnotify_ops *ops);
 /* drop reference on a group from fsnotify_alloc_group */
 extern void fsnotify_put_group(struct fsnotify_group *group);
-
+/* destroy group */
+extern void fsnotify_destroy_group(struct fsnotify_group *group);
 /* take a reference to an event */
 extern void fsnotify_get_event(struct fsnotify_event *event);
 extern void fsnotify_put_event(struct fsnotify_event *event);