diff --git a/security/apparmor/include/cred.h b/security/apparmor/include/cred.h
index 7265d2f81dd5..fc5791937694 100644
--- a/security/apparmor/include/cred.h
+++ b/security/apparmor/include/cred.h
@@ -114,7 +114,12 @@ static inline struct aa_label *aa_get_current_label(void)
 	return aa_get_label(l);
 }
 
-#define __end_current_label_crit_section(X) end_current_label_crit_section(X)
+static inline void __end_current_label_crit_section(struct aa_label *label,
+						    bool needput)
+{
+	if (unlikely(needput))
+		aa_put_label(label);
+}
 
 /**
  * end_label_crit_section - put a reference found with begin_current_label..
@@ -142,13 +147,16 @@ static inline void end_current_label_crit_section(struct aa_label *label)
  * critical section between __begin_current_label_crit_section() ..
  * __end_current_label_crit_section()
  */
-static inline struct aa_label *__begin_current_label_crit_section(void)
+static inline struct aa_label *__begin_current_label_crit_section(bool *needput)
 {
 	struct aa_label *label = aa_current_raw_label();
 
-	if (label_is_stale(label))
-		label = aa_get_newest_label(label);
+	if (label_is_stale(label)) {
+		*needput = true;
+		return aa_get_newest_label(label);
+	}
 
+	*needput = false;
 	return label;
 }
 
@@ -184,10 +192,11 @@ static inline struct aa_ns *aa_get_current_ns(void)
 {
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	struct aa_ns *ns;
+	bool needput;
 
-	label  = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label  = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	ns = aa_get_ns(labels_ns(label));
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return ns;
 }
diff --git a/security/apparmor/lsm.c b/security/apparmor/lsm.c
index 7952e8cab353..c2be3c6f9d3e 100644
--- a/security/apparmor/lsm.c
+++ b/security/apparmor/lsm.c
@@ -127,14 +127,15 @@ static int apparmor_ptrace_access_check(struct task_struct *child,
 	struct aa_label *tracer, *tracee;
 	const struct cred *cred;
 	int error;
+	bool needput;
 
 	cred = get_task_cred(child);
 	tracee = cred_label(cred);	/* ref count on cred */
-	tracer = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	tracer = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	error = aa_may_ptrace(current_cred(), tracer, cred, tracee,
 			(mode & PTRACE_MODE_READ) ? AA_PTRACE_READ
 						  : AA_PTRACE_TRACE);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(tracer);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(tracer, needput);
 	put_cred(cred);
 
 	return error;
@@ -145,14 +146,15 @@ static int apparmor_ptrace_traceme(struct task_struct *parent)
 	struct aa_label *tracer, *tracee;
 	const struct cred *cred;
 	int error;
+	bool needput;
 
-	tracee = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	tracee = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	cred = get_task_cred(parent);
 	tracer = cred_label(cred);	/* ref count on cred */
 	error = aa_may_ptrace(cred, tracer, current_cred(), tracee,
 			      AA_PTRACE_TRACE);
 	put_cred(cred);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(tracee);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(tracee, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
@@ -221,12 +223,13 @@ static int common_perm(const char *op, const struct path *path, u32 mask,
 {
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error = 0;
+	bool needput;
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	if (!unconfined(label))
 		error = aa_path_perm(op, current_cred(), label, path, 0, mask,
 				     cond);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
@@ -524,14 +527,15 @@ static int common_file_perm(const char *op, struct file *file, u32 mask,
 {
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error = 0;
+	bool needput;
 
 	/* don't reaudit files closed during inheritance */
-	if (file->f_path.dentry == aa_null.dentry)
+	if (unlikely(file->f_path.dentry == aa_null.dentry))
 		return -EACCES;
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	error = aa_file_perm(op, current_cred(), label, file, mask, in_atomic);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
@@ -664,15 +668,16 @@ static int apparmor_uring_override_creds(const struct cred *new)
 	struct aa_profile *profile;
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error;
+	bool needput;
 	DEFINE_AUDIT_DATA(ad, LSM_AUDIT_DATA_NONE, AA_CLASS_IO_URING,
 			  OP_URING_OVERRIDE);
 
 	ad.uring.target = cred_label(new);
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	error = fn_for_each(label, profile,
 			profile_uring(profile, AA_MAY_OVERRIDE_CRED,
 				      cred_label(new), CAP_SYS_ADMIN, &ad));
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
@@ -688,14 +693,15 @@ static int apparmor_uring_sqpoll(void)
 	struct aa_profile *profile;
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error;
+	bool needput;
 	DEFINE_AUDIT_DATA(ad, LSM_AUDIT_DATA_NONE, AA_CLASS_IO_URING,
 			  OP_URING_SQPOLL);
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	error = fn_for_each(label, profile,
 			profile_uring(profile, AA_MAY_CREATE_SQPOLL,
 				      NULL, CAP_SYS_ADMIN, &ad));
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
@@ -706,6 +712,7 @@ static int apparmor_sb_mount(const char *dev_name, const struct path *path,
 {
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error = 0;
+	bool needput;
 
 	/* Discard magic */
 	if ((flags & MS_MGC_MSK) == MS_MGC_VAL)
@@ -713,7 +720,7 @@ static int apparmor_sb_mount(const char *dev_name, const struct path *path,
 
 	flags &= ~AA_MS_IGNORE_MASK;
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	if (!unconfined(label)) {
 		if (flags & MS_REMOUNT)
 			error = aa_remount(current_cred(), label, path, flags,
@@ -732,7 +739,7 @@ static int apparmor_sb_mount(const char *dev_name, const struct path *path,
 			error = aa_new_mount(current_cred(), label, dev_name,
 					     path, type, flags, data);
 	}
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
@@ -742,12 +749,13 @@ static int apparmor_move_mount(const struct path *from_path,
 {
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error = 0;
+	bool needput;
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	if (!unconfined(label))
 		error = aa_move_mount(current_cred(), label, from_path,
 				      to_path);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
@@ -756,11 +764,12 @@ static int apparmor_sb_umount(struct vfsmount *mnt, int flags)
 {
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error = 0;
+	bool needput;
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	if (!unconfined(label))
 		error = aa_umount(current_cred(), label, mnt, flags);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
@@ -984,10 +993,12 @@ static void apparmor_bprm_committed_creds(const struct linux_binprm *bprm)
 
 static void apparmor_current_getlsmprop_subj(struct lsm_prop *prop)
 {
-	struct aa_label *label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	struct aa_label *label;
+	bool needput;
 
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	prop->apparmor.label = label;
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 }
 
 static void apparmor_task_getlsmprop_obj(struct task_struct *p,
@@ -1002,13 +1013,16 @@ static void apparmor_task_getlsmprop_obj(struct task_struct *p,
 static int apparmor_task_setrlimit(struct task_struct *task,
 		unsigned int resource, struct rlimit *new_rlim)
 {
-	struct aa_label *label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error = 0;
+	bool needput;
+
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 
 	if (!unconfined(label))
 		error = aa_task_setrlimit(current_cred(), label, task,
 					  resource, new_rlim);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
@@ -1019,6 +1033,7 @@ static int apparmor_task_kill(struct task_struct *target, struct kernel_siginfo
 	const struct cred *tc;
 	struct aa_label *cl, *tl;
 	int error;
+	bool needput;
 
 	tc = get_task_cred(target);
 	tl = aa_get_newest_cred_label(tc);
@@ -1030,9 +1045,9 @@ static int apparmor_task_kill(struct task_struct *target, struct kernel_siginfo
 		error = aa_may_signal(cred, cl, tc, tl, sig);
 		aa_put_label(cl);
 	} else {
-		cl = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+		cl = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 		error = aa_may_signal(current_cred(), cl, tc, tl, sig);
-		__end_current_label_crit_section(cl);
+		__end_current_label_crit_section(cl, needput);
 	}
 	aa_put_label(tl);
 	put_cred(tc);
@@ -1133,10 +1148,11 @@ static int apparmor_unix_stream_connect(struct sock *sk, struct sock *peer_sk,
 	struct aa_sk_ctx *new_ctx = aa_sock(newsk);
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error;
+	bool needput;
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	error = unix_connect_perm(current_cred(), label, sk, peer_sk);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	if (error)
 		return error;
@@ -1163,8 +1179,9 @@ static int apparmor_unix_may_send(struct socket *sock, struct socket *peer)
 	struct aa_sk_ctx *peer_ctx = aa_sock(peer->sk);
 	struct aa_label *label;
 	int error;
+	bool needput;
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	error = xcheck(aa_unix_peer_perm(current_cred(),
 					 label, OP_SENDMSG, AA_MAY_SEND,
 					 sock->sk, peer->sk, NULL),
@@ -1172,7 +1189,7 @@ static int apparmor_unix_may_send(struct socket *sock, struct socket *peer)
 					 peer_ctx->label, OP_SENDMSG,
 					 AA_MAY_RECEIVE,
 					 peer->sk, sock->sk, label));
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return error;
 }
diff --git a/security/apparmor/policy.c b/security/apparmor/policy.c
index 1f532fe48a1c..a60bb7d9b583 100644
--- a/security/apparmor/policy.c
+++ b/security/apparmor/policy.c
@@ -870,11 +870,11 @@ bool aa_policy_admin_capable(const struct cred *subj_cred,
 bool aa_current_policy_view_capable(struct aa_ns *ns)
 {
 	struct aa_label *label;
-	bool res;
+	bool needput, res;
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	res = aa_policy_view_capable(current_cred(), label, ns);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return res;
 }
@@ -882,11 +882,11 @@ bool aa_current_policy_view_capable(struct aa_ns *ns)
 bool aa_current_policy_admin_capable(struct aa_ns *ns)
 {
 	struct aa_label *label;
-	bool res;
+	bool needput, res;
 
-	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section();
+	label = __begin_current_label_crit_section(&needput);
 	res = aa_policy_admin_capable(current_cred(), label, ns);
-	__end_current_label_crit_section(label);
+	__end_current_label_crit_section(label, needput);
 
 	return res;
 }
