diff --git a/fs/proc/generic.c b/fs/proc/generic.c
index eb49beff69bc..69150974ad87 100644
--- a/fs/proc/generic.c
+++ b/fs/proc/generic.c
@@ -694,6 +694,12 @@ void pde_put(struct proc_dir_entry *pde)
 	}
 }
 
+static void pde_erase(struct proc_dir_entry *pde, struct proc_dir_entry *parent)
+{
+	rb_erase(&pde->subdir_node, &parent->subdir);
+	RB_CLEAR_NODE(&pde->subdir_node);
+}
+
 /*
  * Remove a /proc entry and free it if it's not currently in use.
  */
@@ -716,7 +722,7 @@ void remove_proc_entry(const char *name, struct proc_dir_entry *parent)
 			WARN(1, "removing permanent /proc entry '%s'", de->name);
 			de = NULL;
 		} else {
-			rb_erase(&de->subdir_node, &parent->subdir);
+			pde_erase(de, parent);
 			if (S_ISDIR(de->mode))
 				parent->nlink--;
 		}
@@ -760,7 +766,7 @@ int remove_proc_subtree(const char *name, struct proc_dir_entry *parent)
 			root->parent->name, root->name);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
-	rb_erase(&root->subdir_node, &parent->subdir);
+	pde_erase(root, parent);
 
 	de = root;
 	while (1) {
@@ -772,7 +778,7 @@ int remove_proc_subtree(const char *name, struct proc_dir_entry *parent)
 					next->parent->name, next->name);
 				return -EINVAL;
 			}
-			rb_erase(&next->subdir_node, &de->subdir);
+			pde_erase(next, de);
 			de = next;
 			continue;
 		}