diff --git a/fs/cifs/inode.c b/fs/cifs/inode.c
index 949ec909ec9ab94747ed332cc96cdcdbc29fd47b..7899a40465b303db85e1903e9fec1fe57124a261 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/inode.c
@@ -1720,7 +1720,10 @@ cifs_rename2(struct inode *source_dir, struct dentry *source_dentry,
 unlink_target:
 	/* Try unlinking the target dentry if it's not negative */
 	if (target_dentry->d_inode && (rc == -EACCES || rc == -EEXIST)) {
-		tmprc = cifs_unlink(target_dir, target_dentry);
+		if (d_is_dir(target_dentry))
+			tmprc = cifs_rmdir(target_dir, target_dentry);
+		else
+			tmprc = cifs_unlink(target_dir, target_dentry);
 		if (tmprc)
 			goto cifs_rename_exit;
 		rc = cifs_do_rename(xid, source_dentry, from_name,