diff --git a/sys/vfs/hammer2/hammer2_vnops.c b/sys/vfs/hammer2/hammer2_vnops.c
index 1111111..2222222 100644
@@ -1598,10 +1598,11 @@
 	 */
 	error = hammer2_dirent_create(tdip, name, name_len,
 				      ip->meta.inum, ip->meta.type);
-	hammer2_inode_modify(ip);
-	++ip->meta.nlinks;
-	ip->meta.ctime = cmtime;
 	if (error == 0) {
+		hammer2_inode_modify(ip);
+		++ip->meta.nlinks;
+		ip->meta.ctime = cmtime;
+
 		/*
 		 * Update dip's [cm]time
 		 */