diff --git a/fs/ubifs/xattr.c b/fs/ubifs/xattr.c
index 77ffc9788f45141e51d494b5199466ca08c0684c..da59ea3b50c443fb38f3605f8553b075268e5da7 100644
--- a/fs/ubifs/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ubifs/xattr.c
@@ -289,7 +289,13 @@ int ubifs_xattr_set(struct inode *host, const char *name, const void *value,
 	union ubifs_key key;
 	int err;
 
-	ubifs_assert(inode_is_locked(host));
+	/*
+	 * Creating an encryption context is done unlocked since we
+	 * operate on a new inode which is not visible to other users
+	 * at this point.
+	 */
+	if (strcmp(name, UBIFS_XATTR_NAME_ENCRYPTION_CONTEXT) != 0)
+		ubifs_assert(inode_is_locked(host));
 
 	if (size > UBIFS_MAX_INO_DATA)
 		return -ERANGE;