diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Inode.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Inode.cpp
index d68a872f1f..65191b23bc 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Inode.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/bfs/Inode.cpp
@@ -2043,8 +2043,9 @@ Inode::Remove(Transaction &transaction, const char *name, off_t *_id, bool isDir
 	}
 
 	// remove_vnode() allows the inode to be accessed until the last put_vnode()
-	if (remove_vnode(fVolume->ID(), id) != B_OK)
-		return B_ERROR;
+	status = remove_vnode(fVolume->ID(), id);
+	if (status != B_OK)
+		return status;
 
 	if (tree->Remove(transaction, name, id) < B_OK) {
 		unremove_vnode(fVolume->ID(), id);
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/fs/pipefs.cpp b/src/system/kernel/fs/pipefs.cpp
index 6b1e6c928c..916e30fb4f 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/fs/pipefs.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/fs/pipefs.cpp
@@ -513,12 +513,14 @@ Volume::RemoveNode(Inode *directory, const char *name)
 	if (status < B_OK)
 		goto err;
 
+	// schedule this vnode to be removed when it's ref goes to zero
+	status = remove_vnode(ID(), inode->ID());
+	if (status < B_OK)
+		goto err;
+
 	RemoveNode(inode);
 	notify_entry_removed(ID(), directory->ID(), name, inode->ID());
 
-	// schedule this vnode to be removed when it's ref goes to zero
-	remove_vnode(ID(), inode->ID());
-
 err:
 	Unlock();
 
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/fs/rootfs.c b/src/system/kernel/fs/rootfs.c
index 703ac2592c..222113079c 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/fs/rootfs.c
+++ b/src/system/kernel/fs/rootfs.c
@@ -257,11 +257,15 @@ rootfs_is_dir_empty(struct rootfs_vnode *dir)
 static status_t
 remove_node(struct rootfs *fs, struct rootfs_vnode *directory, struct rootfs_vnode *vnode)
 {
+	// schedule this vnode to be removed when it's ref goes to zero
+	status_t status = remove_vnode(fs->id, vnode->id);
+	if (status < B_OK)
+		return status;
+
 	rootfs_remove_from_dir(fs, directory, vnode);
 	notify_entry_removed(fs->id, directory->id, vnode->name, vnode->id);
 
-	// schedule this vnode to be removed when it's ref goes to zero
-	return remove_vnode(fs->id, vnode->id);
+	return B_OK;
 }
 
 
@@ -286,7 +290,7 @@ rootfs_remove(struct rootfs *fs, struct rootfs_vnode *dir, const char *name, boo
 	if (status < B_OK)
 		goto err;
 
-	remove_node(fs, dir, vnode);
+	status = remove_node(fs, dir, vnode);
 
 err:
 	mutex_unlock(&fs->lock);
@@ -481,14 +485,14 @@ rootfs_remove_vnode(fs_volume _fs, fs_vnode _vnode, bool reenter)
 	struct rootfs *fs = (struct rootfs *)_fs;
 	struct rootfs_vnode *vnode = (struct rootfs_vnode *)_vnode;
 
-	TRACE(("rootfs_removevnode: remove %p (0x%Lx), r %d\n", vnode, vnode->id, reenter));
+	TRACE(("rootfs_remove_vnode: remove %p (0x%Lx), r %d\n", vnode, vnode->id, reenter));
 
 	if (!reenter)
 		mutex_lock(&fs->lock);
 
 	if (vnode->dir_next) {
 		// can't remove node if it's linked to the dir
-		panic("rootfs_removevnode: vnode %p asked to be removed is present in dir\n", vnode);
+		panic("rootfs_remove_vnode: vnode %p asked to be removed is present in dir\n", vnode);
 	}
 
 	rootfs_delete_vnode(fs, vnode, false);
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/fs/vfs.cpp b/src/system/kernel/fs/vfs.cpp
index 119fceefb0..04f3cdd193 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/fs/vfs.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/fs/vfs.cpp
@@ -2342,6 +2342,12 @@ remove_vnode(mount_id mountID, vnode_id vnodeID)
 
 	vnode = lookup_vnode(mountID, vnodeID);
 	if (vnode != NULL) {
+		if (vnode->covered_by != NULL) {
+			// this vnode is in use
+			mutex_unlock(&sVnodeMutex);
+			return B_BUSY;
+		}
+
 		vnode->remove = true;
 		if (vnode->unpublished) {
 			// prepare the vnode for deletion