diff --git a/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount.go b/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount.go
index 76e5d611a..5ac49ca6b 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount.go
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ func (vfs *VirtualFilesystem) connectLocked(mnt *Mount, vd VirtualDentry, mntns
 func (vfs *VirtualFilesystem) disconnectLocked(mnt *Mount) VirtualDentry {
 	vd := mnt.getKey()
 	if checkInvariants {
-		if vd.mount != nil {
+		if vd.mount == nil {
 			panic("VFS.disconnectLocked called on disconnected mount")
 		}
 		if mnt.ns.mountpoints[vd.dentry] == 0 {
@@ -669,7 +669,6 @@ func (vfs *VirtualFilesystem) disconnectLocked(mnt *Mount) VirtualDentry {
 			panic("VFS.disconnectLocked called on namespace with zero mounts.")
 		}
 	}
-	mnt.loadKey(VirtualDentry{})
 	delete(vd.mount.children, mnt)
 	vd.dentry.mounts.Add(math.MaxUint32) // -1
 	mnt.ns.mountpoints[vd.dentry]--
@@ -678,6 +677,7 @@ func (vfs *VirtualFilesystem) disconnectLocked(mnt *Mount) VirtualDentry {
 		delete(mnt.ns.mountpoints, vd.dentry)
 	}
 	vfs.mounts.removeSeqed(mnt)
+	mnt.loadKey(VirtualDentry{}) // Clear mnt.key.
 	vfsmpmounts := vfs.mountpoints[vd.dentry]
 	delete(vfsmpmounts, mnt)
 	if len(vfsmpmounts) == 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount_unsafe.go b/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount_unsafe.go
index 9499d6547..6ef24b3d8 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount_unsafe.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount_unsafe.go
@@ -329,7 +329,9 @@ func mtInsertLocked(slots unsafe.Pointer, cap uintptr, value unsafe.Pointer, has
 
 // Remove removes the given mount from mt.
 //
-// Preconditions: mt must contain mount.
+// Preconditions:
+//   - mt must contain mount.
+//   - mount.key should be valid.
 func (mt *mountTable) Remove(mount *Mount) {
 	mt.seq.BeginWrite()
 	mt.removeSeqed(mount)
@@ -338,9 +340,8 @@ func (mt *mountTable) Remove(mount *Mount) {
 
 // removeSeqed removes the given mount from mt.
 //
-// Preconditions:
+// Preconditions same as Remove() plus:
 //   - mt.seq must be in a writer critical section.
-//   - mt must contain mount.
 func (mt *mountTable) removeSeqed(mount *Mount) {
 	hash := mount.key.hash()
 	tcap := uintptr(1) << (mt.size.RacyLoad() & mtSizeOrderMask)