diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index 28d60f9b0e..05a933fd30 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -908,6 +908,10 @@ case $AFS_SYSNAME in *_linux* | *_umlinux*)
 				     [#include <linux/fs.h>
 				      #include <linux/namei.h>],
 				     [path_lookup(NULL, 0, NULL);])
+		 AC_CHECK_LINUX_FUNC([putname],
+				     [#include <linux/fs.h>
+				      #include <linux/namei.h>],
+				     [putname(NULL);])
 		 AC_CHECK_LINUX_FUNC([rcu_read_lock],
 				     [#include <linux/rcupdate.h>],
 				     [rcu_read_lock();])
diff --git a/src/afs/LINUX/osi_compat.h b/src/afs/LINUX/osi_compat.h
index 0314a22d94..35eafc547d 100644
--- a/src/afs/LINUX/osi_compat.h
+++ b/src/afs/LINUX/osi_compat.h
@@ -524,4 +524,13 @@ afs_dentry_open(struct dentry *dp, struct vfsmount *mnt, int flags, const struct
 }
 #endif
 
+static inline void
+afs_putname(struct filename *name) {
+#if defined(HAVE_LINUX_PUTNAME)
+    putname(name);
+#else
+    kmem_cache_free(names_cachep, (void *)name);
+#endif
+}
+
 #endif /* AFS_LINUX_OSI_COMPAT_H */
diff --git a/src/afs/LINUX/osi_misc.c b/src/afs/LINUX/osi_misc.c
index 9a8ccbe18b..0fe7484092 100644
--- a/src/afs/LINUX/osi_misc.c
+++ b/src/afs/LINUX/osi_misc.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ osi_lookupname(char *aname, uio_seg_t seg, int followlink,
     }
     code = osi_lookupname_internal(tname, followlink, NULL, dpp);   
     if (seg == AFS_UIOUSER) {
-        putname(tname);
+        afs_putname(tname);
     }
     return code;
 }
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ int osi_abspath(char *aname, char *buf, int buflen,
 	mntput(mnt);
     }
 
-    putname(tname);
+    afs_putname(tname);
     return code;
 }