diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index 3937f15a20..74fc77619f 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -958,6 +958,7 @@ case $AFS_SYSNAME in *_linux* | *_umlinux*)
 		 AC_CHECK_LINUX_STRUCT([task_struct], [sigmask_lock], [sched.h])
 		 AC_CHECK_LINUX_STRUCT([task_struct], [tgid], [sched.h])
 		 AC_CHECK_LINUX_STRUCT([task_struct], [thread_info], [sched.h])
+		 AC_CHECK_LINUX_STRUCT([task_struct], [total_link_count], [sched.h])
 		 LINUX_SCHED_STRUCT_TASK_STRUCT_HAS_SIGNAL_RLIM
 
 		 dnl Check for typed structure elements
diff --git a/src/afs/LINUX/osi_vnodeops.c b/src/afs/LINUX/osi_vnodeops.c
index 62abc471d8..481ce87847 100644
--- a/src/afs/LINUX/osi_vnodeops.c
+++ b/src/afs/LINUX/osi_vnodeops.c
@@ -1390,9 +1390,17 @@ afs_dentry_automount(afs_linux_path_t *path)
 {
     struct dentry *target;
 
-    /* avoid symlink resolution limits when resolving; we cannot contribute to
-     * an infinite symlink loop */
+    /* 
+     * Avoid symlink resolution limits when resolving; we cannot contribute to
+     * an infinite symlink loop.
+     *
+     * On newer kernels the field has moved to the private nameidata structure
+     * so we can't adjust it here.  This may cause ELOOP when using a path with
+     * 40 or more directories that are not already in the dentry cache.
+     */
+#if defined(STRUCT_TASK_STRUCT_HAS_TOTAL_LINK_COUNT)
     current->total_link_count--;
+#endif
 
     target = canonical_dentry(path->dentry->d_inode);