diff --git a/fs/debugfs/file.c b/fs/debugfs/file.c
index 9c1c9a01b7e5120da23888828300d3f1b16e04c4..d1ec80331414840e9141ee13174599918a8f2766 100644
--- a/fs/debugfs/file.c
+++ b/fs/debugfs/file.c
@@ -262,8 +262,10 @@ static int full_proxy_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 
 	if (real_fops->open) {
 		r = real_fops->open(inode, filp);
-
-		if (filp->f_op != proxy_fops) {
+		if (r) {
+			replace_fops(filp, d_inode(dentry)->i_fop);
+			goto free_proxy;
+		} else if (filp->f_op != proxy_fops) {
 			/* No protection against file removal anymore. */
 			WARN(1, "debugfs file owner replaced proxy fops: %pd",
 				dentry);