diff --git a/fs/nsfs.c b/fs/nsfs.c
index ba6c8975c82e..a80f8d2a4122 100644
--- a/fs/nsfs.c
+++ b/fs/nsfs.c
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ static int nsfs_init_inode(struct inode *inode, void *data)
 	 * ioctl on such a socket will resurrect the relevant namespace
 	 * subtree.
 	 */
-	__ns_ref_active_resurrect(ns);
+	__ns_ref_active_get(ns);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/linux/ns_common.h b/include/linux/ns_common.h
index 791b18dc77d0..3aaba2ca31d7 100644
--- a/include/linux/ns_common.h
+++ b/include/linux/ns_common.h
@@ -287,47 +287,8 @@ static __always_inline __must_check int __ns_ref_read(const struct ns_common *ns
 #define ns_ref_active_read(__ns) \
 	((__ns) ? __ns_ref_active_read(to_ns_common(__ns)) : 0)
 
-void __ns_ref_active_get_owner(struct ns_common *ns);
+void __ns_ref_active_put(struct ns_common *ns);
 
-static __always_inline void __ns_ref_active_get(struct ns_common *ns)
-{
-	/* Initial namespaces are always active. */
-	if (!is_ns_init_id(ns))
-		WARN_ON_ONCE(atomic_add_negative(1, &ns->__ns_ref_active));
-}
-#define ns_ref_active_get(__ns) \
-	do { if (__ns) __ns_ref_active_get(to_ns_common(__ns)); } while (0)
-
-static __always_inline bool __ns_ref_active_get_not_zero(struct ns_common *ns)
-{
-	/* Initial namespaces are always active. */
-	if (is_ns_init_id(ns))
-		return true;
-
-	if (atomic_inc_not_zero(&ns->__ns_ref_active)) {
-		VFS_WARN_ON_ONCE(!__ns_ref_read(ns));
-		return true;
-	}
-	return false;
-}
-
-#define ns_ref_active_get_owner(__ns) \
-	do { if (__ns) __ns_ref_active_get_owner(to_ns_common(__ns)); } while (0)
-
-void __ns_ref_active_put_owner(struct ns_common *ns);
-
-static __always_inline void __ns_ref_active_put(struct ns_common *ns)
-{
-	/* Initial namespaces are always active. */
-	if (is_ns_init_id(ns))
-		return;
-
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&ns->__ns_ref_active)) {
-		VFS_WARN_ON_ONCE(is_initial_namespace(ns));
-		VFS_WARN_ON_ONCE(!__ns_ref_read(ns));
-		__ns_ref_active_put_owner(ns);
-	}
-}
 #define ns_ref_active_put(__ns) \
 	do { if (__ns) __ns_ref_active_put(to_ns_common(__ns)); } while (0)
 
@@ -343,9 +304,9 @@ static __always_inline struct ns_common *__must_check ns_get_unless_inactive(str
 	return ns;
 }
 
-void __ns_ref_active_resurrect(struct ns_common *ns);
+void __ns_ref_active_get(struct ns_common *ns);
 
-#define ns_ref_active_resurrect(__ns) \
-	do { if (__ns) __ns_ref_active_resurrect(to_ns_common(__ns)); } while (0)
+#define ns_ref_active_get(__ns) \
+	do { if (__ns) __ns_ref_active_get(to_ns_common(__ns)); } while (0)
 
 #endif
diff --git a/kernel/nscommon.c b/kernel/nscommon.c
index 70cb66232e4c..bfd2d6805776 100644
--- a/kernel/nscommon.c
+++ b/kernel/nscommon.c
@@ -114,13 +114,6 @@ struct ns_common *__must_check ns_owner(struct ns_common *ns)
 	return to_ns_common(owner);
 }
 
-void __ns_ref_active_get_owner(struct ns_common *ns)
-{
-	ns = ns_owner(ns);
-	if (ns)
-		WARN_ON_ONCE(atomic_add_negative(1, &ns->__ns_ref_active));
-}
-
 /*
  * The active reference count works by having each namespace that gets
  * created take a single active reference on its owning user namespace.
@@ -171,8 +164,18 @@ void __ns_ref_active_get_owner(struct ns_common *ns)
  * The iteration stops once we reach a namespace that still has active
  * references.
  */
-void __ns_ref_active_put_owner(struct ns_common *ns)
+void __ns_ref_active_put(struct ns_common *ns)
 {
+	/* Initial namespaces are always active. */
+	if (is_ns_init_id(ns))
+		return;
+
+	if (!atomic_dec_and_test(&ns->__ns_ref_active))
+		return;
+
+	VFS_WARN_ON_ONCE(is_ns_init_id(ns));
+	VFS_WARN_ON_ONCE(!__ns_ref_read(ns));
+
 	for (;;) {
 		ns = ns_owner(ns);
 		if (!ns)
@@ -275,7 +278,7 @@ void __ns_ref_active_put_owner(struct ns_common *ns)
  * it also needs to take another reference on its owning user namespace
  * and so on.
  */
-void __ns_ref_active_resurrect(struct ns_common *ns)
+void __ns_ref_active_get(struct ns_common *ns)
 {
 	/* Initial namespaces are always active. */
 	if (is_ns_init_id(ns))
diff --git a/kernel/nstree.c b/kernel/nstree.c
index f27f772a6762..97404fb90749 100644
--- a/kernel/nstree.c
+++ b/kernel/nstree.c
@@ -173,14 +173,6 @@ void __ns_tree_add_raw(struct ns_common *ns, struct ns_tree *ns_tree)
 	write_sequnlock(&ns_tree_lock);
 
 	VFS_WARN_ON_ONCE(node);
-
-	/*
-	 * Take an active reference on the owner namespace. This ensures
-	 * that the owner remains visible while any of its child namespaces
-	 * are active. For init namespaces this is a no-op as ns_owner()
-	 * returns NULL for namespaces owned by init_user_ns.
-	 */
-	__ns_ref_active_get_owner(ns);
 }
 
 void __ns_tree_remove(struct ns_common *ns, struct ns_tree *ns_tree)