diff -NurpP linux-2.6.16.20-vs2.1.1-rc22.2.1/fs/namei.c linux-2.6.16.20-vs2.1.1-rc23/fs/namei.c
--- linux-2.6.16.20-vs2.1.1-rc22.2.1/fs/namei.c	2006-05-21 23:34:46 +0200
+++ linux-2.6.16.20-vs2.1.1-rc23/fs/namei.c	2006-06-10 04:03:24 +0200
@@ -2654,13 +2654,14 @@ int vfs_follow_link(struct nameidata *nd
 int cow_break_link(struct dentry *dentry, const char *pathname)
 {
 	int err = -EMLINK;
+	int retry = 16;
 	int ret, mode, pathlen;
 	struct nameidata old_nd, dir_nd;
 	struct dentry *old_dentry, *new_dentry;
 	struct vfsmount *old_mnt, *new_mnt;
 	struct file *old_file;
 	struct file *new_file;
-	char *to, *path, pad='\251';
+	char *to, *path;
 	loff_t size;
 
 	vxdprintk(VXD_CBIT(misc, 2),
@@ -2679,9 +2680,7 @@ int cow_break_link(struct dentry *dentry
 
 	to[pathlen+1] = 0;
 retry:
-	to[pathlen] = pad--;
-	if (pad <= '\240')
-		goto out_rel_old;
+	to[pathlen] = '\240' + retry;
 
 	vxdprintk(VXD_CBIT(misc, 2), "temp copy »%s«", to);
 	ret = path_lookup(to,
@@ -2691,21 +2690,18 @@ retry:
 	new_dentry = lookup_create(&dir_nd, 0);
 	vxdprintk(VXD_CBIT(misc, 2),
 		"lookup_create(new): %p", new_dentry);
-	if (!new_dentry) {
-		path_release(&dir_nd);
-		goto retry;
-	}
+	if (!new_dentry)
+		goto out_rel_path;
 
 	ret = vfs_create(dir_nd.dentry->d_inode, new_dentry, mode, &dir_nd);
 	vxdprintk(VXD_CBIT(misc, 2),
 		"vfs_create(new): %d", ret);
-	if (ret == -EEXIST) {
-
-		mutex_unlock(&dir_nd.dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
-		dput(new_dentry);
-		path_release(&dir_nd);
-		goto retry;
+	if (ret != -EEXIST) {
+		err = ret;
+		retry = 0;
 	}
+	if (ret)
+		goto out_rel_both;
 
 	new_mnt = dir_nd.mnt;
 
@@ -2755,9 +2751,11 @@ out_fput_old:
 out_rel_both:
 	mutex_unlock(&dir_nd.dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
 	dput(new_dentry);
-
+out_rel_path:
 	path_release(&dir_nd);
-out_rel_old:
+	if (retry--)
+		goto retry;
+
 	path_release(&old_nd);
 	kfree(path);
 	return err;