diff --git a/module/zfs/zfs_vnops.c b/module/zfs/zfs_vnops.c
index 4a34f055a..8e4694ff6 100644
--- a/module/zfs/zfs_vnops.c
+++ b/module/zfs/zfs_vnops.c
@@ -235,13 +235,9 @@ zfs_close(struct inode *ip, int flag, cred_t *cr)
 	ZFS_ENTER(zsb);
 	ZFS_VERIFY_ZP(zp);
 
-	/*
-	 * Zero the synchronous opens in the znode.  Under Linux the
-	 * zfs_close() hook is not symmetric with zfs_open(), it is
-	 * only called once when the last reference is dropped.
-	 */
+	/* Decrement the synchronous opens in the znode */
 	if (flag & O_SYNC)
-		zp->z_sync_cnt = 0;
+		atomic_dec_32(&zp->z_sync_cnt);
 
 	if (!zfs_has_ctldir(zp) && zsb->z_vscan && S_ISREG(ip->i_mode) &&
 	    !(zp->z_pflags & ZFS_AV_QUARANTINED) && zp->z_size > 0)
diff --git a/module/zfs/zpl_file.c b/module/zfs/zpl_file.c
index 0d46eee02..690f93838 100644
--- a/module/zfs/zpl_file.c
+++ b/module/zfs/zpl_file.c
@@ -36,15 +36,16 @@ zpl_open(struct inode *ip, struct file *filp)
 	cred_t *cr = CRED();
 	int error;
 
+	error = generic_file_open(ip, filp);
+	if (error)
+		return (error);
+
 	crhold(cr);
 	error = -zfs_open(ip, filp->f_mode, filp->f_flags, cr);
 	crfree(cr);
 	ASSERT3S(error, <=, 0);
 
-	if (error)
-		return (error);
-
-	return generic_file_open(ip, filp);
+	return (error);
 }
 
 static int