--- a/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/dir.c
@@ -376,7 +383,8 @@ static int ovl_do_remove(struct dentry *
 		ovl_dentry_version_inc(dentry->d_parent);
 	}
 
-	if (type != OVL_PATH_UPPER || ovl_dentry_is_opaque(dentry))
+	if ((type != OVL_PATH_UPPER || ovl_dentry_is_opaque(dentry))
+	&& ovl_dentry_lower(dentry))
 		err = ovl_whiteout(upperdir, dentry);
 
 	/*