diff --git a/fs/crypto/policy.c b/fs/crypto/policy.c
index c9800b1a2e930f65e8fa7a9b052fb80efeba512c..f96547f83cabb32dc748865f52ad5cbcd54c3da8 100644
--- a/fs/crypto/policy.c
+++ b/fs/crypto/policy.c
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ int fscrypt_process_policy(struct inode *inode,
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	if (!inode_has_encryption_context(inode)) {
+		if (!S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode))
+			return -EINVAL;
 		if (!inode->i_sb->s_cop->empty_dir)
 			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 		if (!inode->i_sb->s_cop->empty_dir(inode))