diff --git a/fs/configfs/inode.c b/fs/configfs/inode.c
index 4164514..cf78d44 100644
--- a/fs/configfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/configfs/inode.c
@@ -72,10 +72,6 @@
 	if (!sd)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	error = simple_setattr(dentry, iattr);
-	if (error)
-		return error;
-
 	sd_iattr = sd->s_iattr;
 	if (!sd_iattr) {
 		/* setting attributes for the first time, allocate now */
@@ -89,9 +85,12 @@
 		sd_iattr->ia_atime = sd_iattr->ia_mtime = sd_iattr->ia_ctime = CURRENT_TIME;
 		sd->s_iattr = sd_iattr;
 	}
-
 	/* attributes were changed atleast once in past */
 
+	error = simple_setattr(dentry, iattr);
+	if (error)
+		return error;
+
 	if (ia_valid & ATTR_UID)
 		sd_iattr->ia_uid = iattr->ia_uid;
 	if (ia_valid & ATTR_GID)