diff --git a/src/mds/MDCache.cc b/src/mds/MDCache.cc
index 79d9ba68e0f..57439a148da 100644
--- a/src/mds/MDCache.cc
+++ b/src/mds/MDCache.cc
@@ -6523,77 +6523,77 @@ int MDCache::path_traverse(MDRequest *mdr, Message *req, Context *fin,     // wh
       return 1;
     }
     
-    if (dnl) {
-      if (dnl->is_null()) {
-        dout(12) << "traverse: miss on null dentry " << path[depth] << " in "
-                 << *curdir << dendl;
-        return -ENOENT;
-      } else {
-        CInode *in = dnl->get_inode();
+    // can we conclude ENOENT?
+    if (dnl->is_null() && dn->lock.can_read(client)) {
+      dout(12) << "traverse: miss on null+readable dentry " << path[depth] << " " << *dn << dendl;
+      return -ENOENT;
+    }
 
-        // do we have inode?
-        if (!in) {
-          assert(dnl->is_remote());
-          // do i have it?
-          in = get_inode(dnl->get_remote_ino());
-          if (in) {
-            dout(7) << "linking in remote in " << *in << dendl;
-            dn->link_remote(dnl, in);
-          } else {
-            dout(7) << "remote link to " << dnl->get_remote_ino() << ", which i don't have" << dendl;
-            assert(mdr);  // we shouldn't hit non-primary dentries doing a non-mdr traversal!
-            open_remote_ino(dnl->get_remote_ino(), _get_waiter(mdr, req, fin));
-            if (mds->logger) mds->logger->inc(l_mds_trino);
-            return 1;
-          }
-        }
-
-        // forwarder wants replicas?
-#if 0
-        if (mdr && mdr->client_request &&
-            mdr->client_request->get_mds_wants_replica_in_dirino()) {
-          dout(30) << "traverse: REP is here, "
-              << mdr->client_request->get_mds_wants_replica_in_dirino()
-              << " vs " << curdir->dirfrag() << dendl;
-
-          if (mdr->client_request->get_mds_wants_replica_in_dirino() == curdir->ino() &&
-              curdir->is_auth() &&
-              curdir->is_rep() &&
-              curdir->is_replica(req->get_source().num()) &&
-              dn->is_auth()
-          ) {
-            assert(req->get_source().is_mds());
-            int from = req->get_source().num();
-
-            if (dn->is_replica(from)) {
-              dout(15) << "traverse: REP would replicate to mds" << from << ", but already cached_by "
-                  << req->get_source() << " dn " << *dn << dendl;
-            } else {
-              dout(10) << "traverse: REP replicating to " << req->get_source() << " dn " << *dn << dendl;
-              MDiscoverReply *reply = new MDiscoverReply(curdir->dirfrag());
-              reply->mark_unsolicited();
-              reply->starts_with = MDiscoverReply::DENTRY;
-              replicate_dentry(dn, from, reply->trace);
-              if (dnl->is_primary())
-                replicate_inode(in, from, reply->trace);
-              if (req->get_source() != req->get_orig_source())
-                mds->send_message_mds(reply, req->get_source().num());
-              else mds->send_message(reply->req->get_connnection());
-            }
-          }
-        }
-#endif
-
-        // add to trace, continue.
-        cur = in;
-        touch_inode(cur);
-        if (pdnvec)
-          pdnvec->push_back(dn);
-        if (pin)
-          *pin = cur;
-        depth++;
-        continue;
+    if (dnl && !dnl->is_null()) {
+      CInode *in = dnl->get_inode();
+      
+      // do we have inode?
+      if (!in) {
+        assert(dnl->is_remote());
+        // do i have it?
+        in = get_inode(dnl->get_remote_ino());
+        if (in) {
+	  dout(7) << "linking in remote in " << *in << dendl;
+	  dn->link_remote(dnl, in);
+	} else {
+          dout(7) << "remote link to " << dnl->get_remote_ino() << ", which i don't have" << dendl;
+	  assert(mdr);  // we shouldn't hit non-primary dentries doing a non-mdr traversal!
+          open_remote_ino(dnl->get_remote_ino(), _get_waiter(mdr, req, fin));
+	  if (mds->logger) mds->logger->inc(l_mds_trino);
+          return 1;
+        }        
       }
+
+      // forwarder wants replicas?
+#if 0
+      if (mdr && mdr->client_request && 
+	  mdr->client_request->get_mds_wants_replica_in_dirino()) {
+	dout(30) << "traverse: REP is here, " 
+		 << mdr->client_request->get_mds_wants_replica_in_dirino() 
+		 << " vs " << curdir->dirfrag() << dendl;
+	
+	if (mdr->client_request->get_mds_wants_replica_in_dirino() == curdir->ino() &&
+	    curdir->is_auth() && 
+	    curdir->is_rep() &&
+	    curdir->is_replica(req->get_source().num()) &&
+	    dn->is_auth()
+	    ) {
+	  assert(req->get_source().is_mds());
+	  int from = req->get_source().num();
+	  
+	  if (dn->is_replica(from)) {
+	    dout(15) << "traverse: REP would replicate to mds" << from << ", but already cached_by " 
+		     << req->get_source() << " dn " << *dn << dendl; 
+	  } else {
+	    dout(10) << "traverse: REP replicating to " << req->get_source() << " dn " << *dn << dendl;
+	    MDiscoverReply *reply = new MDiscoverReply(curdir->dirfrag());
+	    reply->mark_unsolicited();
+	    reply->starts_with = MDiscoverReply::DENTRY;
+	    replicate_dentry(dn, from, reply->trace);
+	    if (dnl->is_primary())
+	      replicate_inode(in, from, reply->trace);
+	    if (req->get_source() != req->get_orig_source())
+	      mds->send_message_mds(reply, req->get_source().num());
+	    else mds->send_message(reply->req->get_connnection());
+	  }
+	}
+      }
+#endif
+      
+      // add to trace, continue.
+      cur = in;
+      touch_inode(cur);
+      if (pdnvec)
+	pdnvec->push_back(dn);
+      if (pin)
+	*pin = cur;
+      depth++;
+      continue;
     }