diff --git a/security/smack/smack_lsm.c b/security/smack/smack_lsm.c
index 8629e58ea4fa..d6f814aa15ba 100644
--- a/security/smack/smack_lsm.c
+++ b/security/smack/smack_lsm.c
@@ -1027,18 +1027,20 @@ static int smack_inode_init_security(struct inode *inode, struct inode *dir,
 		if (!trans_cred)
 			issp->smk_inode = dsp;
 
-		issp->smk_flags |= SMK_INODE_TRANSMUTE;
-		xattr_transmute = lsm_get_xattr_slot(xattrs,
-						     xattr_count);
-		if (xattr_transmute) {
-			xattr_transmute->value = kmemdup(TRANS_TRUE,
-							 TRANS_TRUE_SIZE,
-							 GFP_NOFS);
-			if (!xattr_transmute->value)
-				return -ENOMEM;
+		if (S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode)) {
+			issp->smk_flags |= SMK_INODE_TRANSMUTE;
+			xattr_transmute = lsm_get_xattr_slot(xattrs,
+							     xattr_count);
+			if (xattr_transmute) {
+				xattr_transmute->value = kmemdup(TRANS_TRUE,
+								 TRANS_TRUE_SIZE,
+								 GFP_NOFS);
+				if (!xattr_transmute->value)
+					return -ENOMEM;
 
-			xattr_transmute->value_len = TRANS_TRUE_SIZE;
-			xattr_transmute->name = XATTR_SMACK_TRANSMUTE;
+				xattr_transmute->value_len = TRANS_TRUE_SIZE;
+				xattr_transmute->name = XATTR_SMACK_TRANSMUTE;
+			}
 		}
 	}