diff --git a/fs/cachefiles/xattr.c b/fs/cachefiles/xattr.c
index 0a29a00aed2e..511e6c68156a 100644
--- a/fs/cachefiles/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/cachefiles/xattr.c
@@ -135,7 +135,8 @@ int cachefiles_update_object_xattr(struct cachefiles_object *object,
 	struct dentry *dentry = object->dentry;
 	int ret;
 
-	ASSERT(dentry);
+	if (!dentry)
+		return -ESTALE;
 
 	_enter("%p,#%d", object, auxdata->len);