diff --git a/fs/autofs/root.c b/fs/autofs/root.c
index 2c31002b314a..186e960f1e23 100644
--- a/fs/autofs/root.c
+++ b/fs/autofs/root.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <linux/capability.h>
 #include <linux/compat.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 
 #include "autofs_i.h"
 
@@ -578,7 +579,6 @@ static int autofs_dir_symlink(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 	struct autofs_info *ino = autofs_dentry_ino(dentry);
 	struct autofs_info *p_ino;
 	struct inode *inode;
-	size_t size = strlen(symname);
 	char *cp;
 
 	pr_debug("%s <- %pd\n", symname, dentry);
@@ -589,19 +589,17 @@ static int autofs_dir_symlink(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 
 	autofs_del_active(dentry);
 
-	cp = kmalloc(size + 1, GFP_KERNEL);
+	cp = kstrdup(symname, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!cp)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	strcpy(cp, symname);
-
 	inode = autofs_get_inode(dir->i_sb, S_IFLNK | 0555);
 	if (!inode) {
 		kfree(cp);
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 	inode->i_private = cp;
-	inode->i_size = size;
+	inode->i_size = strlen(cp);
 
 	d_make_persistent(dentry, inode);
 	p_ino = autofs_dentry_ino(dentry->d_parent);