diff --git a/fs/exec.c b/fs/exec.c
index 8112eacf10f3..eadbf5069c38 100644
--- a/fs/exec.c
+++ b/fs/exec.c
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  * current->executable is only used by the procfs.  This allows a dispatch
  * table to check for several different types  of binary formats.  We keep
  * trying until we recognize the file or we run out of supported binary
- * formats. 
+ * formats.
  */
 
 #include <linux/slab.h>
@@ -1268,6 +1268,13 @@ int flush_old_exec(struct linux_binprm * bprm)
 	flush_thread();
 	current->personality &= ~bprm->per_clear;
 
+	/*
+	 * We have to apply CLOEXEC before we change whether the process is
+	 * dumpable (in setup_new_exec) to avoid a race with a process in userspace
+	 * trying to access the should-be-closed file descriptors of a process
+	 * undergoing exec(2).
+	 */
+	do_close_on_exec(current->files);
 	return 0;
 
 out:
@@ -1330,7 +1337,6 @@ void setup_new_exec(struct linux_binprm * bprm)
 	   group */
 	current->self_exec_id++;
 	flush_signal_handlers(current, 0);
-	do_close_on_exec(current->files);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(setup_new_exec);