diff --git a/security/integrity/ima/ima_policy.c b/security/integrity/ima/ima_policy.c
index cf3ddb38dfa8..86ccd0076e71 100644
--- a/security/integrity/ima/ima_policy.c
+++ b/security/integrity/ima/ima_policy.c
@@ -300,10 +300,13 @@ static struct ima_rule_entry *ima_lsm_copy_rule(struct ima_rule_entry *entry)
 			continue;
 
 		nentry->lsm[i].type = entry->lsm[i].type;
-		nentry->lsm[i].args_p = kstrdup(entry->lsm[i].args_p,
-						GFP_KERNEL);
-		if (!nentry->lsm[i].args_p)
-			goto out_err;
+		nentry->lsm[i].args_p = entry->lsm[i].args_p;
+		/*
+		 * Remove the reference from entry so that the associated
+		 * memory will not be freed during a later call to
+		 * ima_lsm_free_rule(entry).
+		 */
+		entry->lsm[i].args_p = NULL;
 
 		security_filter_rule_init(nentry->lsm[i].type,
 					  Audit_equal,
@@ -311,14 +314,9 @@ static struct ima_rule_entry *ima_lsm_copy_rule(struct ima_rule_entry *entry)
 					  &nentry->lsm[i].rule);
 		if (!nentry->lsm[i].rule)
 			pr_warn("rule for LSM \'%s\' is undefined\n",
-				(char *)entry->lsm[i].args_p);
+				(char *)nentry->lsm[i].args_p);
 	}
 	return nentry;
-
-out_err:
-	ima_lsm_free_rule(nentry);
-	kfree(nentry);
-	return NULL;
 }
 
 static int ima_lsm_update_rule(struct ima_rule_entry *entry)