diff --git a/kernel-src/fs/tmpfs.c b/kernel-src/fs/tmpfs.c
index 4d70cc8d..e509a8a5 100644
--- a/kernel-src/fs/tmpfs.c
+++ b/kernel-src/fs/tmpfs.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ static int tmpfs_unlink(vnode_t *node, vnode_t *child, char *name, cred_t *cred)
 
 	if (child->type == V_TYPE_DIR) {
 		// undo .. entry link
-		VOP_RELEASE(node);
+		// note that the parent unref happens only at freenode() time
 		--tmpnode->attr.nlinks;
 	}
 
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ static int tmpfs_rename(vnode_t *source, vnode_t *sourcefile, char *oldname, vno
 	if (sourcefile->type == V_TYPE_DIR && targetdir != sourcedir) {
 		tmpfsnode_t *v = (tmpfsnode_t *)sourcefile;
 		// handle .. entry 
-		__assert(hashtable_set(&v->children, targetdir, "..", 3, false) == 0);
+		__assert(hashtable_set(&v->children, targetdir, "..", 2, false) == 0);
 		sourcedir->attr.nlinks -= 1;
 		targetdir->attr.nlinks += 1;
 
@@ -396,6 +396,8 @@ static int tmpfs_rename(vnode_t *source, vnode_t *sourcefile, char *oldname, vno
 	}
 
 	if (oldnode) {
+		if (oldnode->type == V_TYPE_DIR)
+			VOP_HOLD(target); // account for the oldnode reference that will be released
 		tmpfsnode_t *old_tmpnode = (tmpfsnode_t *)oldnode;
 		--old_tmpnode->attr.nlinks;
 		VOP_RELEASE(oldnode);
@@ -492,6 +494,7 @@ static int tmpfs_getdents(vnode_t *node, dent_t *buffer, size_t count, uintmax_t
 }
 
 static int tmpfs_inactive(vnode_t *node) {
+	arch_e9_puts("tmpfs_inactive\n");
 	tmpfsnode_t *tmp_node = (tmpfsnode_t *)node;
 	__assert(tmp_node->attr.nlinks == (node->type == V_TYPE_DIR ? 1 : 0));
 	if (node->type == V_TYPE_REGULAR) {
diff --git a/kernel-src/fs/vfs.c b/kernel-src/fs/vfs.c
index 6f13bc86..bacb10ba 100644
--- a/kernel-src/fs/vfs.c
+++ b/kernel-src/fs/vfs.c
@@ -334,18 +334,13 @@ int vfs_create(vnode_t *ref, char *path, vattr_t *attr, int type, vnode_t **node
 
 	err = VOP_ACCESS(parent, V_ACCESS_WRITE, getcred());
 	if (err) {
-		VOP_UNLOCK(parent);
-		VOP_RELEASE(parent);
 		goto cleanup_parent;
 	}
 
 	vnode_t *ret;
 	err = VOP_CREATE(parent, component, attr, type, &ret, getcred());
-	VOP_RELEASE(parent);
-	if (err) {
-		VOP_UNLOCK(parent);
-		goto cleanup;
-	}
+	if (err)
+		goto cleanup_parent;
 
 	if (node) {
 		*node = ret;
@@ -356,6 +351,7 @@ int vfs_create(vnode_t *ref, char *path, vattr_t *attr, int type, vnode_t **node
 	}
 
 	cleanup_parent:
+	VOP_RELEASE(parent);
 	VOP_UNLOCK(parent);
 	cleanup:
 	free(component);
@@ -701,7 +697,12 @@ int vfs_unlink(vnode_t *ref, char *path) {
 	if (err)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	bool isdotdot = strcmp(path, "..") == 0;
+	if (strcmp(component, "..") == 0 || strcmp(component, ".") == 0) {
+		VOP_UNLOCK(parent);
+		VOP_RELEASE(parent);
+		err = EBUSY;
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
 
 	vnode_t *child = NULL;
 	err = VOP_LOOKUP(parent, component, &child, getcred());
@@ -716,12 +717,11 @@ int vfs_unlink(vnode_t *ref, char *path) {
 		goto cleanup_release;
 
 	err = VOP_UNLINK(parent, child, component, getcred());
+
 	cleanup_release:
 	// locked by VOP_LOOKUP
 	VOP_UNLOCK(child);
-	// locked by vfs_lookup, unlocked by VOP_LOOKUP if component is ".."
-	if (!isdotdot)
-		VOP_UNLOCK(parent);
+	VOP_UNLOCK(parent);
 
 	VOP_RELEASE(child);
 	VOP_RELEASE(parent);