diff --git a/fs/inode/fs_files.c b/fs/inode/fs_files.c
index 2645a40fe31..8ecb9cfd19f 100644
--- a/fs/inode/fs_files.c
+++ b/fs/inode/fs_files.c
@@ -632,81 +632,6 @@ found:
 #endif
 }
 
-/****************************************************************************
- * Name: fdlist_allocate
- *
- * Description:
- *   Allocate a struct fd instance and associate it with an empty file
- *   instance. The difference between this function and
- *   file_allocate_from_inode is that this function is only used for
- *   placeholder purposes. Later, the caller will initialize the file entity
- *   through the returned filep.
- *
- *   The fd allocated by this function can be released using fdlist_close.
- *
- *   After the function call is completed, it will hold a reference count
- *   for the filep. Therefore, when the filep is no longer in use, it is
- *   necessary to call file_put to release the reference count, in order
- *   to avoid a race condition where the file might be closed during
- *   this process.
- *
- * Returned Value:
- *   Returns the file descriptor == index into the files array on success;
- *   a negated errno value is returned on any failure.
- *
- ****************************************************************************/
-
-int fdlist_allocate(FAR struct fdlist *list, int oflags,
-                    int minfd, FAR struct file **filep)
-{
-  int fd;
-
-  *filep = fs_heap_zalloc(sizeof(struct file));
-  if (*filep == NULL)
-    {
-      return -ENOMEM;
-    }
-
-  file_ref(*filep);
-  fd = fdlist_dupfile(list, oflags, minfd, *filep);
-  if (fd < 0)
-    {
-      file_put(*filep);
-    }
-
-  return fd;
-}
-
-/****************************************************************************
- * Name: file_allocate
- *
- * Description:
- *   Allocate a struct fd instance and associate it with an empty file
- *   instance. The difference between this function and
- *   file_allocate_from_inode is that this function is only used for
- *   placeholder purposes. Later, the caller will initialize the file entity
- *   through the returned filep.
- *
- *   The fd allocated by this function can be released using nx_close.
- *
- *   After the function call is completed, it will hold a reference count
- *   for the filep. Therefore, when the filep is no longer in use, it is
- *   necessary to call file_put to release the reference count, in order
- *   to avoid a race condition where the file might be closed during
- *   this process.
- *
- * Returned Value:
- *   Returns the file descriptor == index into the files array on success;
- *   a negated errno value is returned on any failure.
- *
- ****************************************************************************/
-
-int file_allocate(int oflags, int minfd, FAR struct file **filep)
-{
-  return fdlist_allocate(nxsched_get_fdlist_from_tcb(this_task()),
-                         oflags, minfd, filep);
-}
-
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: file_allocate_from_inode
  *
@@ -726,10 +651,10 @@ int file_allocate_from_inode(FAR struct inode *inode, int oflags, off_t pos,
   FAR struct file *filep;
   int fd;
 
-  fd = file_allocate(oflags, minfd, &filep);
-  if (fd < 0)
+  filep = file_allocate();
+  if (filep == NULL)
     {
-      return fd;
+      return -ENOMEM;
     }
 
   inode_addref(inode);
@@ -740,8 +665,12 @@ int file_allocate_from_inode(FAR struct inode *inode, int oflags, off_t pos,
 #if CONFIG_FS_LOCK_BUCKET_SIZE > 0
   filep->f_locked = false;
 #endif
-
-  file_put(filep);
+  fd = file_dup(filep, minfd, oflags);
+  if (fd < 0)
+    {
+      inode_release(inode);
+      file_deallocate(filep);
+    }
 
   return fd;
 }
@@ -839,6 +768,32 @@ int fdlist_copy(FAR struct fdlist *plist, FAR struct fdlist *clist,
   return OK;
 }
 
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Name: file_allocate
+ *
+ * Description:
+ *   Allocate a file instance and return
+ *
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+FAR struct file *file_allocate(void)
+{
+  return fs_heap_zalloc(sizeof(struct file));
+}
+
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Name: file_deallocate
+ *
+ * Description:
+ *   Free a file instance.
+ *
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+void file_deallocate(FAR struct file *filep)
+{
+  fs_heap_free(filep);
+}
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: file_get2
  *
diff --git a/fs/mqueue/mq_open.c b/fs/mqueue/mq_open.c
index 909c4dabf9f..514f053997e 100644
--- a/fs/mqueue/mq_open.c
+++ b/fs/mqueue/mq_open.c
@@ -350,20 +350,26 @@ static mqd_t nxmq_vopen(FAR const char *mq_name, int oflags, va_list ap)
   int ret;
   int fd;
 
-  fd = file_allocate(oflags, 0, &mq);
-  if (fd < 0)
+  mq = file_allocate();
+  if (mq == NULL)
     {
-      return fd;
+      return -ENOMEM;
     }
 
   ret = file_mq_vopen(mq, mq_name, oflags, getumask(), ap, &created);
-  file_put(mq);
   if (ret < 0)
     {
-      nx_close(fd);
+      file_deallocate(mq);
       return ret;
     }
 
+  fd = file_dup(mq, 0, oflags);
+  if (fd < 0)
+    {
+      file_close(mq);
+      file_deallocate(mq);
+    }
+
   return fd;
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/shm/shm_open.c b/fs/shm/shm_open.c
index 7d799743c9b..b83b324c6fc 100644
--- a/fs/shm/shm_open.c
+++ b/fs/shm/shm_open.c
@@ -176,21 +176,29 @@ int shm_open(FAR const char *name, int oflag, mode_t mode)
   int ret;
   int fd;
 
-  fd = file_allocate(oflag | O_CLOEXEC, 0, &shm);
-  if (fd < 0)
+  shm = file_allocate();
+  if (shm == NULL)
     {
-      set_errno(-fd);
+      set_errno(ENOMEM);
       return ERROR;
     }
 
   ret = file_shm_open(shm, name, oflag, mode);
-  file_put(shm);
   if (ret < 0)
     {
-      nx_close(fd);
+      file_deallocate(shm);
       set_errno(-ret);
       return ERROR;
     }
 
+  fd = file_dup(shm, 0, oflag | O_CLOEXEC);
+  if (fd < 0)
+    {
+      file_close(shm);
+      file_deallocate(shm);
+      set_errno(-fd);
+      return ERROR;
+    }
+
   return fd;
 }
diff --git a/fs/vfs/fs_open.c b/fs/vfs/fs_open.c
index bab898463bf..f85c1eec24a 100644
--- a/fs/vfs/fs_open.c
+++ b/fs/vfs/fs_open.c
@@ -315,24 +315,26 @@ static int nx_vopen(FAR struct fdlist *list,
   int ret;
   int fd;
 
-  /* Allocate a new file descriptor for the inode */
-
-  fd = fdlist_allocate(list, oflags, 0, &filep);
-  if (fd < 0)
+  filep = file_allocate();
+  if (filep == NULL)
     {
-      return fd;
+      return -ENOMEM;
     }
 
-  /* Let file_vopen() do all of the work */
-
   ret = file_vopen(filep, path, oflags, getumask(), ap);
-  file_put(filep);
   if (ret < 0)
     {
-      fdlist_close(list, fd);
+      file_deallocate(filep);
       return ret;
     }
 
+  fd = fdlist_dupfile(list, oflags, 0, filep);
+  if (fd < 0)
+    {
+      file_close(filep);
+      file_deallocate(filep);
+    }
+
   return fd;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/nuttx/fs/fs.h b/include/nuttx/fs/fs.h
index c819d464b8d..4283e86ea5b 100644
--- a/include/nuttx/fs/fs.h
+++ b/include/nuttx/fs/fs.h
@@ -1035,59 +1035,6 @@ int fdlist_get2(FAR struct fdlist *list, int fd,
 int fdlist_dupfile(FAR struct fdlist *list, int oflags, int minfd,
                    FAR struct file *filep);
 
-/****************************************************************************
- * Name: fdlist_allocate
- *
- * Description:
- *   Allocate a struct fd instance and associate it with an empty file
- *   instance. The difference between this function and
- *   file_allocate_from_inode is that this function is only used for
- *   placeholder purposes. Later, the caller will initialize the file entity
- *   through the returned filep.
- *
- *   The fd allocated by this function can be released using fdlist_close.
- *
- *   After the function call is completed, it will hold a reference count
- *   for the filep. Therefore, when the filep is no longer in use, it is
- *   necessary to call file_put to release the reference count, in order
- *   to avoid a race condition where the file might be closed during
- *   this process.
- *
- * Returned Value:
- *   Returns the file descriptor == index into the files array on success;
- *   a negated errno value is returned on any failure.
- *
- ****************************************************************************/
-
-int fdlist_allocate(FAR struct fdlist *list, int oflags,
-                    int minfd, FAR struct file **filep);
-
-/****************************************************************************
- * Name: file_allocate
- *
- * Description:
- *   Allocate a struct fd instance and associate it with an empty file
- *   instance. The difference between this function and
- *   file_allocate_from_inode is that this function is only used for
- *   placeholder purposes. Later, the caller will initialize the file entity
- *   through the returned filep.
- *
- *   The fd allocated by this function can be released using nx_close.
- *
- *   After the function call is completed, it will hold a reference count
- *   for the filep. Therefore, when the filep is no longer in use, it is
- *   necessary to call file_put to release the reference count, in order
- *   to avoid a race condition where the file might be closed during
- *   this process.
- *
- * Returned Value:
- *   Returns the file descriptor == index into the files array on success;
- *   a negated errno value is returned on any failure.
- *
- ****************************************************************************/
-
-int file_allocate(int oflags, int minfd, FAR struct file **filep);
-
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: file_allocate_from_inode
  *
@@ -1264,6 +1211,26 @@ int fdlist_open(FAR struct fdlist *list,
 
 int nx_open(FAR const char *path, int oflags, ...);
 
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Name: file_allocate
+ *
+ * Description:
+ *   Allocate a file instance and return
+ *
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+FAR struct file *file_allocate(void);
+
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Name: file_deallocate
+ *
+ * Description:
+ *   Free a file instance.
+ *
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+void file_deallocate(FAR struct file *filep);
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: file_get2
  *