diff --git a/fs/crypto/policy.c b/fs/crypto/policy.c
index c6d431a5cce932fd80385415fe598aca0f74ba05..4288839501e94c7447e6003dc50903d33b795658 100644
--- a/fs/crypto/policy.c
+++ b/fs/crypto/policy.c
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ int fscrypt_ioctl_set_policy(struct file *filp, const void __user *arg)
 	if (ret == -ENODATA) {
 		if (!S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode))
 			ret = -ENOTDIR;
+		else if (IS_DEADDIR(inode))
+			ret = -ENOENT;
 		else if (!inode->i_sb->s_cop->empty_dir(inode))
 			ret = -ENOTEMPTY;
 		else