diff --git a/lustre/ChangeLog b/lustre/ChangeLog
index 28e142b9bf503e9f661aa24e83d4ee0cfbba7d7f..d35af16e211548610ef5f055ae9f643d13ecb058 100644
--- a/lustre/ChangeLog
+++ b/lustre/ChangeLog
@@ -48,12 +48,6 @@ 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 c6567c896adc6a354e7a9c449ce94664dda61c25..86d836c790de6c5702d0a5f35fd10861278c1788 100644
--- a/lustre/llite/file.c
+++ b/lustre/llite/file.c
@@ -2460,10 +2460,8 @@ int ll_release_openhandle(struct dentry *dentry, struct lookup_intent *it)
         OBD_FREE(och, sizeof(*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);
 }