diff --git a/security/integrity/evm/evm_main.c b/security/integrity/evm/evm_main.c
index 782915117175..4206c7e492ae 100644
--- a/security/integrity/evm/evm_main.c
+++ b/security/integrity/evm/evm_main.c
@@ -90,6 +90,24 @@ static bool evm_key_loaded(void)
 	return (bool)(evm_initialized & EVM_KEY_MASK);
 }
 
+/*
+ * This function determines whether or not it is safe to ignore verification
+ * errors, based on the ability of EVM to calculate HMACs. If the HMAC key
+ * is not loaded, and it cannot be loaded in the future due to the
+ * EVM_SETUP_COMPLETE initialization flag, allowing an operation despite the
+ * attrs/xattrs being found invalid will not make them valid.
+ */
+static bool evm_hmac_disabled(void)
+{
+	if (evm_initialized & EVM_INIT_HMAC)
+		return false;
+
+	if (!(evm_initialized & EVM_SETUP_COMPLETE))
+		return false;
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 static int evm_find_protected_xattrs(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	struct inode *inode = d_backing_inode(dentry);
@@ -338,6 +356,10 @@ static int evm_protect_xattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *xattr_name,
 	if (evm_status == INTEGRITY_NOXATTRS) {
 		struct integrity_iint_cache *iint;
 
+		/* Exception if the HMAC is not going to be calculated. */
+		if (evm_hmac_disabled())
+			return 0;
+
 		iint = integrity_iint_find(d_backing_inode(dentry));
 		if (iint && (iint->flags & IMA_NEW_FILE))
 			return 0;
@@ -354,6 +376,10 @@ static int evm_protect_xattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *xattr_name,
 				    -EPERM, 0);
 	}
 out:
+	/* Exception if the HMAC is not going to be calculated. */
+	if (evm_hmac_disabled() && (evm_status == INTEGRITY_NOLABEL ||
+	    evm_status == INTEGRITY_UNKNOWN))
+		return 0;
 	if (evm_status != INTEGRITY_PASS)
 		integrity_audit_msg(AUDIT_INTEGRITY_METADATA, d_backing_inode(dentry),
 				    dentry->d_name.name, "appraise_metadata",
@@ -474,6 +500,9 @@ void evm_inode_post_setxattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *xattr_name,
 	if (!strcmp(xattr_name, XATTR_NAME_EVM))
 		return;
 
+	if (!(evm_initialized & EVM_INIT_HMAC))
+		return;
+
 	evm_update_evmxattr(dentry, xattr_name, xattr_value, xattr_value_len);
 }
 
@@ -497,6 +526,9 @@ void evm_inode_post_removexattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *xattr_name)
 	if (!strcmp(xattr_name, XATTR_NAME_EVM))
 		return;
 
+	if (!(evm_initialized & EVM_INIT_HMAC))
+		return;
+
 	evm_update_evmxattr(dentry, xattr_name, NULL, 0);
 }
 
@@ -522,7 +554,9 @@ int evm_inode_setattr(struct dentry *dentry, struct iattr *attr)
 		return 0;
 	evm_status = evm_verify_current_integrity(dentry);
 	if ((evm_status == INTEGRITY_PASS) ||
-	    (evm_status == INTEGRITY_NOXATTRS))
+	    (evm_status == INTEGRITY_NOXATTRS) ||
+	    (evm_hmac_disabled() && (evm_status == INTEGRITY_NOLABEL ||
+	     evm_status == INTEGRITY_UNKNOWN)))
 		return 0;
 	integrity_audit_msg(AUDIT_INTEGRITY_METADATA, d_backing_inode(dentry),
 			    dentry->d_name.name, "appraise_metadata",
@@ -548,6 +582,9 @@ void evm_inode_post_setattr(struct dentry *dentry, int ia_valid)
 
 	evm_reset_status(dentry->d_inode);
 
+	if (!(evm_initialized & EVM_INIT_HMAC))
+		return;
+
 	if (ia_valid & (ATTR_MODE | ATTR_UID | ATTR_GID))
 		evm_update_evmxattr(dentry, NULL, NULL, 0);
 }