diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
index 89d5d59c7d7a..e466c58f9ec4 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ static int ovl_copy_up_one(struct dentry *parent, struct dentry *dentry,
 static int ovl_copy_up_flags(struct dentry *dentry, int flags)
 {
 	int err = 0;
-	const struct cred *old_cred = ovl_override_creds(dentry->d_sb);
+	const struct cred *old_cred;
 	bool disconnected = (dentry->d_flags & DCACHE_DISCONNECTED);
 
 	/*
@@ -939,6 +939,7 @@ static int ovl_copy_up_flags(struct dentry *dentry, int flags)
 	if (WARN_ON(disconnected && d_is_dir(dentry)))
 		return -EIO;
 
+	old_cred = ovl_override_creds(dentry->d_sb);
 	while (!err) {
 		struct dentry *next;
 		struct dentry *parent = NULL;