diff --git a/lustre/ChangeLog b/lustre/ChangeLog
index 3fda82b074e001f200fde349835dadc51085cda0..78b092c066c64bf4a40f3acbc790f6e4e4480964 100644
--- a/lustre/ChangeLog
+++ b/lustre/ChangeLog
@@ -22,12 +22,6 @@ Description: service mount cannot take device name with ":"
 Details    : Only when device name contains ":/" will mount treat it as
              client mount.
 
-Severity   : major
-Bugzilla   : 16561
-Description: Hitting mdc_commit_close() ASSERTION
-Details    : Properly handle request reference release in
-             ll_release_openhandle().
-
 Severity   : normal
 Bugzilla   : 15927
 Frequency  : rare
diff --git a/lustre/llite/file.c b/lustre/llite/file.c
index 2d8eaa9a5249643867f5a0a3ce7ae306e2c36ef2..ce1169ff93f519b698a45ec6705b41f0cba61774 100644
--- a/lustre/llite/file.c
+++ b/lustre/llite/file.c
@@ -2495,10 +2495,8 @@ int ll_release_openhandle(struct dentry *dentry, struct lookup_intent *it)
                                        inode, och);
  out:
         /* this one is in place of ll_file_open */
-        if (it_disposition(it, DISP_ENQ_OPEN_REF)) {
-                ptlrpc_req_finished(it->d.lustre.it_data);
-                it_clear_disposition(it, DISP_ENQ_OPEN_REF);
-        }
+        ptlrpc_req_finished(it->d.lustre.it_data);
+        it_clear_disposition(it, DISP_ENQ_OPEN_REF);
         RETURN(rc);
 }