diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
index c910413eaeca..83e700a2b0c0 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4proc.c
@@ -1659,8 +1659,10 @@ nfs4_proc_setattr(struct dentry *dentry, struct nfs_fattr *fattr,
 		struct nfs_open_context *ctx;
 
 		ctx = nfs_file_open_context(sattr->ia_file);
-		cred = ctx->cred;
-		state = ctx->state;
+		if (ctx) {
+			cred = ctx->cred;
+			state = ctx->state;
+		}
 	}
 
 	status = nfs4_do_setattr(inode, cred, fattr, sattr, state);
diff --git a/include/linux/nfs_fs.h b/include/linux/nfs_fs.h
index ac8d0233b05c..4eaa8347a0d9 100644
--- a/include/linux/nfs_fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/nfs_fs.h
@@ -367,8 +367,12 @@ static inline struct nfs_open_context *nfs_file_open_context(struct file *filp)
 
 static inline struct rpc_cred *nfs_file_cred(struct file *file)
 {
-	if (file != NULL)
-		return nfs_file_open_context(file)->cred;
+	if (file != NULL) {
+		struct nfs_open_context *ctx =
+			nfs_file_open_context(file);
+		if (ctx)
+			return ctx->cred;
+	}
 	return NULL;
 }