diff --git a/include/linux/user_namespace.h b/include/linux/user_namespace.h
index 7919b80d57ed0..80b5bf12feaeb 100644
--- a/include/linux/user_namespace.h
+++ b/include/linux/user_namespace.h
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ struct ucounts {
 	struct hlist_node node;
 	struct user_namespace *ns;
 	kuid_t uid;
-	int count;
+	atomic_t count;
 	atomic_long_t ucount[UCOUNT_COUNTS];
 };
 
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ void retire_userns_sysctls(struct user_namespace *ns);
 struct ucounts *inc_ucount(struct user_namespace *ns, kuid_t uid, enum ucount_type type);
 void dec_ucount(struct ucounts *ucounts, enum ucount_type type);
 struct ucounts *alloc_ucounts(struct user_namespace *ns, kuid_t uid);
-struct ucounts *get_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts);
+struct ucounts * __must_check get_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts);
 void put_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_USER_NS
diff --git a/kernel/ucount.c b/kernel/ucount.c
index 50cc1dfb7d28a..365865f368ecd 100644
--- a/kernel/ucount.c
+++ b/kernel/ucount.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 struct ucounts init_ucounts = {
 	.ns    = &init_user_ns,
 	.uid   = GLOBAL_ROOT_UID,
-	.count = 1,
+	.count = ATOMIC_INIT(1),
 };
 
 #define UCOUNTS_HASHTABLE_BITS 10
@@ -139,6 +139,15 @@ static void hlist_add_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts)
 	spin_unlock_irq(&ucounts_lock);
 }
 
+struct ucounts *get_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts)
+{
+	if (ucounts && atomic_add_negative(1, &ucounts->count)) {
+		put_ucounts(ucounts);
+		ucounts = NULL;
+	}
+	return ucounts;
+}
+
 struct ucounts *alloc_ucounts(struct user_namespace *ns, kuid_t uid)
 {
 	struct hlist_head *hashent = ucounts_hashentry(ns, uid);
@@ -155,7 +164,7 @@ struct ucounts *alloc_ucounts(struct user_namespace *ns, kuid_t uid)
 
 		new->ns = ns;
 		new->uid = uid;
-		new->count = 0;
+		atomic_set(&new->count, 1);
 
 		spin_lock_irq(&ucounts_lock);
 		ucounts = find_ucounts(ns, uid, hashent);
@@ -163,33 +172,12 @@ struct ucounts *alloc_ucounts(struct user_namespace *ns, kuid_t uid)
 			kfree(new);
 		} else {
 			hlist_add_head(&new->node, hashent);
-			ucounts = new;
+			spin_unlock_irq(&ucounts_lock);
+			return new;
 		}
 	}
-	if (ucounts->count == INT_MAX)
-		ucounts = NULL;
-	else
-		ucounts->count += 1;
 	spin_unlock_irq(&ucounts_lock);
-	return ucounts;
-}
-
-struct ucounts *get_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts)
-{
-	unsigned long flags;
-
-	if (!ucounts)
-		return NULL;
-
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&ucounts_lock, flags);
-	if (ucounts->count == INT_MAX) {
-		WARN_ONCE(1, "ucounts: counter has reached its maximum value");
-		ucounts = NULL;
-	} else {
-		ucounts->count += 1;
-	}
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ucounts_lock, flags);
-
+	ucounts = get_ucounts(ucounts);
 	return ucounts;
 }
 
@@ -197,15 +185,12 @@ void put_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts)
 {
 	unsigned long flags;
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&ucounts_lock, flags);
-	ucounts->count -= 1;
-	if (!ucounts->count)
+	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&ucounts->count)) {
+		spin_lock_irqsave(&ucounts_lock, flags);
 		hlist_del_init(&ucounts->node);
-	else
-		ucounts = NULL;
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ucounts_lock, flags);
-
-	kfree(ucounts);
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ucounts_lock, flags);
+		kfree(ucounts);
+	}
 }
 
 static inline bool atomic_long_inc_below(atomic_long_t *v, int u)