diff --git a/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount.go b/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount.go
index 469431a21..8a350e0f4 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/vfs/mount.go
@@ -276,18 +276,18 @@ func (vfs *VirtualFilesystem) ConnectMountAt(ctx context.Context, creds *auth.Cr
 	tree := vfs.preparePropagationTree(mnt, vd)
 	cleanup := cleanup.Make(func() {
 		vfs.abortPropagationTree(ctx, tree) // +checklocksforce
+	})
+	defer cleanup.Clean()
+	// Check if the new mount + all the propagation mounts puts us over the max.
+	if uint32(len(tree)+1)+vd.mount.ns.mounts > MountMax {
 		// We need to unlock mountMu first because DecRef takes a lock on the
 		// filesystem mutex in some implementations, which can lead to circular
 		// locking.
 		vfs.mountMu.Unlock()
 		vd.DecRef(ctx)
-	})
-	defer cleanup.Clean()
-	// Check if the new mount + all the propagation mounts puts us over the max.
-	if uint32(len(tree)+1)+vd.mount.ns.mounts > MountMax {
 		return linuxerr.ENOSPC
 	}
-	if err := vfs.connectMountAt(ctx, mnt, vd); err != nil {
+	if err := vfs.connectMountAtLocked(ctx, mnt, vd); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	vfs.commitPropagationTree(ctx, tree)
@@ -296,20 +296,20 @@ func (vfs *VirtualFilesystem) ConnectMountAt(ctx context.Context, creds *auth.Cr
 	return nil
 }
 
-// connectMountAtLocked attaches mnt at vd. If the method returns an error that
-// is not nil, then it did not consume a reference on vd and the caller is
-// responsible for calling DecRef.
+// connectMountAtLocked attaches mnt at vd. This method consumes a reference on
+// vd.
 //
 // Preconditions:
 //   - mnt must be disconnected.
 //   - vfs.mountMu must be locked.
 //
 // +checklocks:vfs.mountMu
-func (vfs *VirtualFilesystem) connectMountAt(ctx context.Context, mnt *Mount, vd VirtualDentry) error {
+func (vfs *VirtualFilesystem) connectMountAtLocked(ctx context.Context, mnt *Mount, vd VirtualDentry) error {
 	vd.dentry.mu.Lock()
 	for {
 		if vd.mount.umounted || vd.dentry.dead {
 			vd.dentry.mu.Unlock()
+			vd.DecRef(ctx)
 			return linuxerr.ENOENT
 		}
 		// vd might have been mounted over between vfs.GetDentryAt() and
@@ -408,14 +408,15 @@ func (vfs *VirtualFilesystem) BindAt(ctx context.Context, creds *auth.Credential
 		// Checklocks doesn't work with anon functions.
 		vfs.setPropagation(clone, Private)  // +checklocksforce
 		vfs.abortPropagationTree(ctx, tree) // +checklocksforce
-		vfs.mountMu.Unlock()
-		targetVd.DecRef(ctx)
 	})
 	defer cleanup.Clean()
 	if uint32(1+len(tree))+targetVd.mount.ns.mounts > MountMax {
+		vfs.mountMu.Unlock()
+		targetVd.DecRef(ctx)
 		return nil, linuxerr.ENOSPC
 	}
-	if err := vfs.connectMountAt(ctx, clone, targetVd); err != nil {
+	if err := vfs.connectMountAtLocked(ctx, clone, targetVd); err != nil {
+		vfs.mountMu.Unlock()
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	vfs.commitPropagationTree(ctx, tree)
diff --git a/test/syscalls/linux/mount.cc b/test/syscalls/linux/mount.cc
index 21e5b7585..e9e8dbd66 100644
--- a/test/syscalls/linux/mount.cc
+++ b/test/syscalls/linux/mount.cc
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <cstdlib>
 #include <functional>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <memory>
@@ -1418,6 +1419,26 @@ TEST(MountTest, MountInfoHasRoot) {
   }
 }
 
+TEST(MountTest, DeadMountsAreDecRefd) {
+  SKIP_IF(!ASSERT_NO_ERRNO_AND_VALUE(HaveCapability(CAP_SYS_ADMIN)));
+  DisableSave ds;
+  std::string home = NewTempAbsPath();
+  ASSERT_NO_ERRNO(Mkdir(home));
+  ASSERT_THAT(chdir(home.c_str()), SyscallSucceeds());
+  constexpr char dirpath[] = "./file";
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < 10; ++i) {
+    const auto rest = [&] {
+      mkdir(dirpath, 0);
+      mount(dirpath, ".", 0, MS_BIND, 0);
+      rmdir(dirpath);
+      mkdir(dirpath, 0);
+      mount(dirpath, ".", 0, MS_BIND, 0);
+    };
+    EXPECT_THAT(InForkedProcess(rest), IsPosixErrorOkAndHolds(0));
+  }
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 
 }  // namespace testing