diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
index 3fbc94203380..63e6ec0e8b50 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <linux/crypto.h>
 #include <linux/fs_stack.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <linux/xattr.h>
 #include <asm/unaligned.h>
 #include "ecryptfs_kernel.h"
 
@@ -1108,10 +1109,8 @@ ecryptfs_setxattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *name, const void *value,
 		rc = -EOPNOTSUPP;
 		goto out;
 	}
-	mutex_lock(&lower_dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
-	rc = lower_dentry->d_inode->i_op->setxattr(lower_dentry, name, value,
-						   size, flags);
-	mutex_unlock(&lower_dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
+
+	rc = vfs_setxattr(lower_dentry, name, value, size, flags);
 out:
 	return rc;
 }