diff --git a/security/integrity/evm/evm_crypto.c b/security/integrity/evm/evm_crypto.c
index dfb26918699..7dd538ef5b8 100644
--- a/security/integrity/evm/evm_crypto.c
+++ b/security/integrity/evm/evm_crypto.c
@@ -205,9 +205,9 @@ int evm_update_evmxattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *xattr_name,
 		rc = __vfs_setxattr_noperm(dentry, XATTR_NAME_EVM,
 					   &xattr_data,
 					   sizeof(xattr_data), 0);
-	}
-	else if (rc == -ENODATA)
+	} else if (rc == -ENODATA && inode->i_op->removexattr) {
 		rc = inode->i_op->removexattr(dentry, XATTR_NAME_EVM);
+	}
 	return rc;
 }