diff --git a/security/keys/keyring.c b/security/keys/keyring.c
index 8177010174f7b3d47773a43e48bf2b171b264c5f..238aa172f25bb3a686465fafc4e7573c35778a70 100644
--- a/security/keys/keyring.c
+++ b/security/keys/keyring.c
@@ -628,6 +628,10 @@ static bool search_nested_keyrings(struct key *keyring,
 	       ctx->index_key.type->name,
 	       ctx->index_key.description);
 
+#define STATE_CHECKS (KEYRING_SEARCH_NO_STATE_CHECK | KEYRING_SEARCH_DO_STATE_CHECK)
+	BUG_ON((ctx->flags & STATE_CHECKS) == 0 ||
+	       (ctx->flags & STATE_CHECKS) == STATE_CHECKS);
+
 	if (ctx->index_key.description)
 		ctx->index_key.desc_len = strlen(ctx->index_key.description);
 
@@ -637,7 +641,6 @@ static bool search_nested_keyrings(struct key *keyring,
 	if (ctx->match_data.lookup_type == KEYRING_SEARCH_LOOKUP_ITERATE ||
 	    keyring_compare_object(keyring, &ctx->index_key)) {
 		ctx->skipped_ret = 2;
-		ctx->flags |= KEYRING_SEARCH_DO_STATE_CHECK;
 		switch (ctx->iterator(keyring_key_to_ptr(keyring), ctx)) {
 		case 1:
 			goto found;
@@ -649,8 +652,6 @@ static bool search_nested_keyrings(struct key *keyring,
 	}
 
 	ctx->skipped_ret = 0;
-	if (ctx->flags & KEYRING_SEARCH_NO_STATE_CHECK)
-		ctx->flags &= ~KEYRING_SEARCH_DO_STATE_CHECK;
 
 	/* Start processing a new keyring */
 descend_to_keyring:
diff --git a/security/keys/request_key.c b/security/keys/request_key.c
index bb4337c7ae1b3978fd5e36d692d8cacf27b89816..0bb23f98e4cafb3978b61e431fe9f75148f12806 100644
--- a/security/keys/request_key.c
+++ b/security/keys/request_key.c
@@ -516,6 +516,7 @@ struct key *request_key_and_link(struct key_type *type,
 		.match_data.cmp		= key_default_cmp,
 		.match_data.raw_data	= description,
 		.match_data.lookup_type	= KEYRING_SEARCH_LOOKUP_DIRECT,
+		.flags			= KEYRING_SEARCH_DO_STATE_CHECK,
 	};
 	struct key *key;
 	key_ref_t key_ref;
diff --git a/security/keys/request_key_auth.c b/security/keys/request_key_auth.c
index 6639e2cb885322c6a43924496b2a68be25b9a5e6..5d672f7580dd5330516dd62f7d705cac46c319fb 100644
--- a/security/keys/request_key_auth.c
+++ b/security/keys/request_key_auth.c
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ struct key *key_get_instantiation_authkey(key_serial_t target_id)
 		.match_data.cmp		= key_default_cmp,
 		.match_data.raw_data	= description,
 		.match_data.lookup_type	= KEYRING_SEARCH_LOOKUP_DIRECT,
+		.flags			= KEYRING_SEARCH_DO_STATE_CHECK,
 	};
 	struct key *authkey;
 	key_ref_t authkey_ref;