diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/export.c b/fs/overlayfs/export.c
index 1541135..ed73e36 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/export.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/export.c
@@ -703,25 +703,39 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_lower_fh_to_d(struct super_block *sb,
 	struct ovl_path *stack = &origin;
 	struct dentry *dentry = NULL;
 	struct dentry *index = NULL;
-	struct inode *inode = NULL;
-	bool is_deleted = false;
+	struct inode *inode;
 	int err;
 
-	/* First lookup indexed upper by fh */
+	/* First lookup overlay inode in inode cache by origin fh */
+	err = ovl_check_origin_fh(ofs, fh, false, NULL, &stack);
+	if (err)
+		return ERR_PTR(err);
+
+	if (!d_is_dir(origin.dentry) ||
+	    !(origin.dentry->d_flags & DCACHE_DISCONNECTED)) {
+		inode = ovl_lookup_inode(sb, origin.dentry, false);
+		err = PTR_ERR(inode);
+		if (IS_ERR(inode))
+			goto out_err;
+		if (inode) {
+			dentry = d_find_any_alias(inode);
+			iput(inode);
+			if (dentry)
+				goto out;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* Then lookup indexed upper/whiteout by origin fh */
 	if (ofs->indexdir) {
 		index = ovl_get_index_fh(ofs, fh);
 		err = PTR_ERR(index);
 		if (IS_ERR(index)) {
-			if (err != -ESTALE)
-				return ERR_PTR(err);
-
-			/* Found a whiteout index - treat as deleted inode */
-			is_deleted = true;
 			index = NULL;
+			goto out_err;
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* Then try to get upper dir by index */
+	/* Then try to get a connected upper dir by index */
 	if (index && d_is_dir(index)) {
 		struct dentry *upper = ovl_index_upper(ofs, index);
 
@@ -734,24 +748,19 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_lower_fh_to_d(struct super_block *sb,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	/* Then lookup origin by fh */
-	err = ovl_check_origin_fh(ofs, fh, true, NULL, &stack);
-	if (err) {
-		goto out_err;
-	} else if (index) {
+	/* Otherwise, get a connected non-upper dir or disconnected non-dir */
+	if (d_is_dir(origin.dentry) &&
+	    (origin.dentry->d_flags & DCACHE_DISCONNECTED)) {
+		dput(origin.dentry);
+		origin.dentry = NULL;
+		err = ovl_check_origin_fh(ofs, fh, true, NULL, &stack);
+		if (err)
+			goto out_err;
+	}
+	if (index) {
 		err = ovl_verify_origin(index, origin.dentry, false);
 		if (err)
 			goto out_err;
-	} else if (is_deleted) {
-		/* Lookup deleted non-dir by origin inode */
-		if (!d_is_dir(origin.dentry))
-			inode = ovl_lookup_inode(sb, origin.dentry, false);
-		err = -ESTALE;
-		if (!inode || atomic_read(&inode->i_count) == 1)
-			goto out_err;
-
-		/* Deleted but still open? */
-		index = dget(ovl_i_dentry_upper(inode));
 	}
 
 	dentry = ovl_get_dentry(sb, NULL, &origin, index);
@@ -759,7 +768,6 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_lower_fh_to_d(struct super_block *sb,
 out:
 	dput(origin.dentry);
 	dput(index);
-	iput(inode);
 	return dentry;
 
 out_err: