diff --git a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
index 8705c77a9e75..93c231601c8e 100644
--- a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
+++ b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_events_dir(const char *name, struct dentry
 						const struct eventfs_entry *entries,
 						int size, void *data)
 {
-	struct dentry *dentry = tracefs_start_creating(name, parent);
+	struct dentry *dentry;
 	struct eventfs_root_inode *rei;
 	struct eventfs_inode *ei;
 	struct tracefs_inode *ti;
@@ -768,6 +768,7 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_events_dir(const char *name, struct dentry
 	if (security_locked_down(LOCKDOWN_TRACEFS))
 		return NULL;
 
+	dentry = tracefs_start_creating(name, parent);
 	if (IS_ERR(dentry))
 		return ERR_CAST(dentry);