diff --git a/src/kernel/dir.c b/src/kernel/dir.c
index e8079f9e82b..cd9c518b4d9 100644
--- a/src/kernel/dir.c
+++ b/src/kernel/dir.c
@@ -26,8 +26,12 @@ static int ceph_dentry_revalidate(struct dentry *dentry, struct nameidata *nd);
  * revalidated during path traversal, and revalidated _again_ when we
  * reconstruct the reverse path.  lame.  unfortunately the VFS doesn't
  * tell us the path it traversed, so i'm not sure we can do any better.
+ *
+ * always include at least @min dentry(ies), or else paths for
+ * namespace operations (link, rename, etc.) are meaningless.
  */
-char *ceph_build_dentry_path(struct dentry *dentry, int *plen, __u64 *base)
+char *ceph_build_dentry_path(struct dentry *dentry, int *plen, __u64 *base,
+			     int min)
 {
 	struct dentry *temp;
 	char *path;
@@ -39,7 +43,8 @@ char *ceph_build_dentry_path(struct dentry *dentry, int *plen, __u64 *base)
 retry:
 	len = 0;
 	for (temp = dentry; !IS_ROOT(temp);) {
-		if (temp->d_inode &&
+		if (len >= min &&
+		    temp->d_inode &&
 		    !ceph_dentry_revalidate(temp, 0))
 			break;
 		len += 1 + temp->d_name.len;
@@ -304,7 +309,7 @@ struct dentry *ceph_do_lookup(struct super_block *sb, struct dentry *dentry,
 	} else {
 		/* build path */
 		u64 pathbase;
-		path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+		path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 1);
 		if (IS_ERR(path))
 			return ERR_PTR(PTR_ERR(path));
 		req = ceph_mdsc_create_request(mdsc, CEPH_MDS_OP_LSTAT,
@@ -357,7 +362,7 @@ static int ceph_mknod(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 
 	dout(5, "dir_mknod in dir %p dentry %p mode 0%o rdev %d\n",
 	     dir, dentry, mode, rdev);
-	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 1);
 	if (IS_ERR(path))
 		return PTR_ERR(path);
 	req = ceph_mdsc_create_request(mdsc, CEPH_MDS_OP_MKNOD,
@@ -424,7 +429,7 @@ static int ceph_symlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 	int err;
 
 	dout(5, "dir_symlink in dir %p dentry %p to '%s'\n", dir, dentry, dest);
-	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 1);
 	if (IS_ERR(path))
 		return PTR_ERR(path);
 	req = ceph_mdsc_create_request(mdsc, CEPH_MDS_OP_SYMLINK,
@@ -458,7 +463,7 @@ static int ceph_mkdir(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry, int mode)
 	int err;
 
 	dout(5, "dir_mkdir in dir %p dentry %p mode 0%o\n", dir, dentry, mode);
-	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 1);
 	if (IS_ERR(path))
 		return PTR_ERR(path);
 	req = ceph_mdsc_create_request(mdsc, CEPH_MDS_OP_MKDIR,
@@ -495,10 +500,11 @@ static int ceph_link(struct dentry *old_dentry, struct inode *dir,
 
 	dout(5, "dir_link in dir %p old_dentry %p dentry %p\n", dir,
 	     old_dentry, dentry);
-	oldpath = ceph_build_dentry_path(old_dentry, &oldpathlen, &oldpathbase);
+	oldpath = ceph_build_dentry_path(old_dentry, &oldpathlen, &oldpathbase,
+					 1);
 	if (IS_ERR(oldpath))
 		return PTR_ERR(oldpath);
-	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 1);
 	if (IS_ERR(path)) {
 		kfree(oldpath);
 		return PTR_ERR(path);
@@ -550,7 +556,7 @@ static int ceph_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 
 	dout(5, "dir_unlink/rmdir in dir %p dentry %p inode %p\n",
 	     dir, dentry, inode);
-	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 1);
 	if (IS_ERR(path))
 		return PTR_ERR(path);
 	req = ceph_mdsc_create_request(mdsc, op,
@@ -589,10 +595,12 @@ static int ceph_rename(struct inode *old_dir, struct dentry *old_dentry,
 
 	dout(5, "dir_rename in dir %p dentry %p to dir %p dentry %p\n",
 	     old_dir, old_dentry, new_dir, new_dentry);
-	oldpath = ceph_build_dentry_path(old_dentry, &oldpathlen, &oldpathbase);
+	oldpath = ceph_build_dentry_path(old_dentry, &oldpathlen, &oldpathbase,
+					 1);
 	if (IS_ERR(oldpath))
 		return PTR_ERR(oldpath);
-	newpath = ceph_build_dentry_path(new_dentry, &newpathlen, &newpathbase);
+	newpath = ceph_build_dentry_path(new_dentry, &newpathlen, &newpathbase,
+					 1);
 	if (IS_ERR(newpath)) {
 		kfree(oldpath);
 		return PTR_ERR(newpath);
diff --git a/src/kernel/file.c b/src/kernel/file.c
index 9991f249667..a4de9382793 100644
--- a/src/kernel/file.c
+++ b/src/kernel/file.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ prepare_open_request(struct super_block *sb, struct dentry *dentry,
 
 	dout(5, "prepare_open_request dentry %p name '%s' flags %d\n", dentry,
 	     dentry->d_name.name, flags);
-	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 0);
 	if (IS_ERR(path))
 		return ERR_PTR(PTR_ERR(path));
 	req = ceph_mdsc_create_request(mdsc, CEPH_MDS_OP_OPEN, pathbase, path,
diff --git a/src/kernel/inode.c b/src/kernel/inode.c
index d71565e4595..f824b024b79 100644
--- a/src/kernel/inode.c
+++ b/src/kernel/inode.c
@@ -1727,7 +1727,7 @@ static struct ceph_mds_request *prepare_setattr(struct ceph_mds_client *mdsc,
 					       dentry, USE_CAP_MDS);
 	} else {
 		dout(5, "prepare_setattr dentry %p (full path)\n", dentry);
-		path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+		path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 0);
 		if (IS_ERR(path))
 			return ERR_PTR(PTR_ERR(path));
 		req = ceph_mdsc_create_request(mdsc, op, pathbase, path, 0, 0,
@@ -2185,7 +2185,7 @@ int ceph_setxattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *name,
 	}
 
 	/* do request */
-	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 0);
 	if (IS_ERR(path))
 		return PTR_ERR(path);
 	req = ceph_mdsc_create_request(mdsc, CEPH_MDS_OP_LSETXATTR,
@@ -2230,7 +2230,7 @@ int ceph_removexattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *name)
 	if (strncmp(name, "user.", 5) != 0)
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
-	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase);
+	path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen, &pathbase, 0);
 	if (IS_ERR(path))
 		return PTR_ERR(path);
 	req = ceph_mdsc_create_request(mdsc, CEPH_MDS_OP_LRMXATTR,
diff --git a/src/kernel/mds_client.c b/src/kernel/mds_client.c
index f5d7f690241..45c39821468 100644
--- a/src/kernel/mds_client.c
+++ b/src/kernel/mds_client.c
@@ -1349,7 +1349,7 @@ retry:
 		dentry = d_find_alias(&ci->vfs_inode);
 		if (dentry) {
 			path = ceph_build_dentry_path(dentry, &pathlen,
-						      &pathbase);
+						      &pathbase, 9999);
 			if (IS_ERR(path)) {
 				err = PTR_ERR(path);
 				BUG_ON(err);
diff --git a/src/kernel/super.h b/src/kernel/super.h
index 5c14b38a150..63a90a5e936 100644
--- a/src/kernel/super.h
+++ b/src/kernel/super.h
@@ -509,7 +509,8 @@ extern const struct inode_operations ceph_dir_iops;
 extern const struct file_operations ceph_dir_fops;
 extern struct dentry_operations ceph_dentry_ops;
 
-extern char *ceph_build_dentry_path(struct dentry *dn, int *len, __u64 *base);
+extern char *ceph_build_dentry_path(struct dentry *dn, int *len, __u64 *base,
+				    int min);
 extern struct dentry *ceph_do_lookup(struct super_block *sb, 
 				     struct dentry *dentry, 
 				     int mask, int on_inode);