Index: linux-2.6/fs/dcache.c
===================================================================
--- linux-2.6.orig/fs/dcache.c
+++ linux-2.6/fs/dcache.c
@@ -1177,6 +1177,9 @@ void d_delete(struct dentry * dentry)
 	spin_lock(&dentry->d_lock);
 	isdir = S_ISDIR(dentry->d_inode->i_mode);
 	if (atomic_read(&dentry->d_count) == 1) {
+		/* remove this and other inotify debug checks after 2.6.18 */
+		dentry->d_flags &= ~DCACHE_INOTIFY_PARENT_WATCHED;
+
 		dentry_iput(dentry);
 		fsnotify_nameremove(dentry, isdir);
 		return;
Index: linux-2.6/fs/inotify.c
===================================================================
--- linux-2.6.orig/fs/inotify.c
+++ linux-2.6/fs/inotify.c
@@ -390,6 +390,7 @@ static inline int inotify_inode_watched(
 
 /*
  * Get child dentry flag into synch with parent inode.
+ * Flag should always be clear for negative dentrys.
  */
 static void set_dentry_child_flags(struct inode *inode, int watched)
 {
@@ -400,6 +401,10 @@ static void set_dentry_child_flags(struc
 		struct dentry *child;
 
 		list_for_each_entry(child, &alias->d_subdirs, d_u.d_child) {
+			if (!child->d_inode) {
+				WARN_ON(child->d_flags & DCACHE_INOTIFY_PARENT_WATCHED);
+				continue;
+			}
 			spin_lock(&child->d_lock);
 			if (watched) {
 				WARN_ON(child->d_flags & DCACHE_INOTIFY_PARENT_WATCHED);