diff --git a/lib/efi_loader/efi_var_file.c b/lib/efi_loader/efi_var_file.c
index de9ba8de99..62e071bd83 100644
--- a/lib/efi_loader/efi_var_file.c
+++ b/lib/efi_loader/efi_var_file.c
@@ -187,6 +187,8 @@ efi_status_t efi_var_restore(struct efi_var_file *buf, bool safe)
 			continue;
 		if (!var->length)
 			continue;
+		if (efi_var_mem_find(&var->guid, var->name, NULL))
+			continue;
 		ret = efi_var_mem_ins(var->name, &var->guid, var->attr,
 				      var->length, data, 0, NULL,
 				      var->time);
diff --git a/lib/efi_loader/efi_variable.c b/lib/efi_loader/efi_variable.c
index 8ca2d85694..503a33ed65 100644
--- a/lib/efi_loader/efi_variable.c
+++ b/lib/efi_loader/efi_variable.c
@@ -425,6 +425,9 @@ efi_status_t efi_init_variables(void)
 	if (ret != EFI_SUCCESS)
 		return ret;
 
+	ret = efi_var_from_file();
+	if (ret != EFI_SUCCESS)
+		return ret;
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_EFI_VARIABLES_PRESEED)) {
 		ret = efi_var_restore((struct efi_var_file *)
 				      __efi_var_file_begin, true);
@@ -432,9 +435,6 @@ efi_status_t efi_init_variables(void)
 			log_err("Invalid EFI variable seed\n");
 	}
 
-	ret = efi_var_from_file();
-	if (ret != EFI_SUCCESS)
-		return ret;
 
 	return efi_init_secure_state();
 }