diff --git a/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c b/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c
index c8203ce28ab7..7dc940c869b6 100644
--- a/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c
+++ b/fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ static int inotify_update_existing_watch(struct fsnotify_group *group,
 
 	/* don't allow invalid bits: we don't want flags set */
 	mask = inotify_arg_to_mask(arg);
-	if (unlikely(!mask))
+	if (unlikely(!(mask & IN_ALL_EVENTS)))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	fsn_mark = fsnotify_find_inode_mark(group, inode);
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ static int inotify_new_watch(struct fsnotify_group *group,
 
 	/* don't allow invalid bits: we don't want flags set */
 	mask = inotify_arg_to_mask(arg);
-	if (unlikely(!mask))
+	if (unlikely(!(mask & IN_ALL_EVENTS)))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	tmp_i_mark = kmem_cache_alloc(inotify_inode_mark_cachep, GFP_KERNEL);