diff --git a/fs/fuse/file.c b/fs/fuse/file.c
index 11f22a3..90ce7c5 100644
--- a/fs/fuse/file.c
+++ b/fs/fuse/file.c
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 			kfree(ff);
 			ff = NULL;
 		}
+		atomic_set(&ff->count, 0);
 	}
 	return ff;
 }
@@ -64,6 +65,22 @@
 	kfree(ff);
 }
 
+static struct fuse_file *fuse_file_get(struct fuse_file *ff)
+{
+	atomic_inc(&ff->count);
+	return ff;
+}
+
+static void fuse_file_put(struct fuse_file *ff)
+{
+	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&ff->count)) {
+		struct fuse_req *req = ff->reserved_req;
+		struct fuse_conn *fc = get_fuse_conn(req->dentry->d_inode);
+		request_send_background(fc, req);
+		kfree(ff);
+	}
+}
+
 void fuse_finish_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file,
 		      struct fuse_file *ff, struct fuse_open_out *outarg)
 {
@@ -72,7 +89,7 @@
 	if (!(outarg->open_flags & FOPEN_KEEP_CACHE))
 		invalidate_mapping_pages(inode->i_mapping, 0, -1);
 	ff->fh = outarg->fh;
-	file->private_data = ff;
+	file->private_data = fuse_file_get(ff);
 }
 
 int fuse_open_common(struct inode *inode, struct file *file, int isdir)
@@ -113,8 +130,7 @@
 	return err;
 }
 
-struct fuse_req *fuse_release_fill(struct fuse_file *ff, u64 nodeid, int flags,
-				   int opcode)
+void fuse_release_fill(struct fuse_file *ff, u64 nodeid, int flags, int opcode)
 {
 	struct fuse_req *req = ff->reserved_req;
 	struct fuse_release_in *inarg = &req->misc.release_in;
@@ -126,25 +142,24 @@
 	req->in.numargs = 1;
 	req->in.args[0].size = sizeof(struct fuse_release_in);
 	req->in.args[0].value = inarg;
-	kfree(ff);
-
-	return req;
 }
 
 int fuse_release_common(struct inode *inode, struct file *file, int isdir)
 {
 	struct fuse_file *ff = file->private_data;
 	if (ff) {
-		struct fuse_conn *fc = get_fuse_conn(inode);
-		struct fuse_req *req;
-
-		req = fuse_release_fill(ff, get_node_id(inode), file->f_flags,
-					isdir ? FUSE_RELEASEDIR : FUSE_RELEASE);
+		fuse_release_fill(ff, get_node_id(inode), file->f_flags,
+				  isdir ? FUSE_RELEASEDIR : FUSE_RELEASE);
 
 		/* Hold vfsmount and dentry until release is finished */
-		req->vfsmount = mntget(file->f_path.mnt);
-		req->dentry = dget(file->f_path.dentry);
-		request_send_background(fc, req);
+		ff->reserved_req->vfsmount = mntget(file->f_path.mnt);
+		ff->reserved_req->dentry = dget(file->f_path.dentry);
+		/*
+		 * Normally this will send the RELEASE request,
+		 * however if some asynchronous READ or WRITE requests
+		 * are outstanding, the sending will be delayed
+		 */
+		fuse_file_put(ff);
 	}
 
 	/* Return value is ignored by VFS */
@@ -264,10 +279,9 @@
 	return fuse_fsync_common(file, de, datasync, 0);
 }
 
-void fuse_read_fill(struct fuse_req *req, struct file *file,
+void fuse_read_fill(struct fuse_req *req, struct fuse_file *ff,
 		    struct inode *inode, loff_t pos, size_t count, int opcode)
 {
-	struct fuse_file *ff = file->private_data;
 	struct fuse_read_in *inarg = &req->misc.read_in;
 
 	inarg->fh = ff->fh;
@@ -288,7 +302,8 @@
 			     struct inode *inode, loff_t pos, size_t count)
 {
 	struct fuse_conn *fc = get_fuse_conn(inode);
-	fuse_read_fill(req, file, inode, pos, count, FUSE_READ);
+	struct fuse_file *ff = file->private_data;
+	fuse_read_fill(req, ff, inode, pos, count, FUSE_READ);
 	request_send(fc, req);
 	return req->out.args[0].size;
 }
@@ -337,20 +352,21 @@
 			SetPageError(page);
 		unlock_page(page);
 	}
+	if (req->ff)
+		fuse_file_put(req->ff);
 	fuse_put_request(fc, req);
 }
 
-static void fuse_send_readpages(struct fuse_req *req, struct file *file,
+static void fuse_send_readpages(struct fuse_req *req, struct fuse_file *ff,
 				struct inode *inode)
 {
 	struct fuse_conn *fc = get_fuse_conn(inode);
 	loff_t pos = page_offset(req->pages[0]);
 	size_t count = req->num_pages << PAGE_CACHE_SHIFT;
 	req->out.page_zeroing = 1;
-	fuse_read_fill(req, file, inode, pos, count, FUSE_READ);
+	fuse_read_fill(req, ff, inode, pos, count, FUSE_READ);
 	if (fc->async_read) {
-		get_file(file);
-		req->file = file;
+		req->ff = fuse_file_get(ff);
 		req->end = fuse_readpages_end;
 		request_send_background(fc, req);
 	} else {
@@ -359,15 +375,15 @@
 	}
 }
 
-struct fuse_readpages_data {
+struct fuse_fill_data {
 	struct fuse_req *req;
-	struct file *file;
+	struct fuse_file *ff;
 	struct inode *inode;
 };
 
 static int fuse_readpages_fill(void *_data, struct page *page)
 {
-	struct fuse_readpages_data *data = _data;
+	struct fuse_fill_data *data = _data;
 	struct fuse_req *req = data->req;
 	struct inode *inode = data->inode;
 	struct fuse_conn *fc = get_fuse_conn(inode);
@@ -376,7 +392,7 @@
 	    (req->num_pages == FUSE_MAX_PAGES_PER_REQ ||
 	     (req->num_pages + 1) * PAGE_CACHE_SIZE > fc->max_read ||
 	     req->pages[req->num_pages - 1]->index + 1 != page->index)) {
-		fuse_send_readpages(req, data->file, inode);
+		fuse_send_readpages(req, data->ff, inode);
 		data->req = req = fuse_get_req(fc);
 		if (IS_ERR(req)) {
 			unlock_page(page);
@@ -393,14 +409,14 @@
 {
 	struct inode *inode = mapping->host;
 	struct fuse_conn *fc = get_fuse_conn(inode);
-	struct fuse_readpages_data data;
+	struct fuse_fill_data data;
 	int err;
 
 	err = -EIO;
 	if (is_bad_inode(inode))
 		goto out;
 
-	data.file = file;
+	data.ff = file->private_data;
 	data.inode = inode;
 	data.req = fuse_get_req(fc);
 	err = PTR_ERR(data.req);
@@ -410,7 +426,7 @@
 	err = read_cache_pages(mapping, pages, fuse_readpages_fill, &data);
 	if (!err) {
 		if (data.req->num_pages)
-			fuse_send_readpages(data.req, file, inode);
+			fuse_send_readpages(data.req, data.ff, inode);
 		else
 			fuse_put_request(fc, data.req);
 	}