diff --git a/fs/ubifs/journal.c b/fs/ubifs/journal.c
index 2857e64d673d1..230717384a38e 100644
--- a/fs/ubifs/journal.c
+++ b/fs/ubifs/journal.c
@@ -882,6 +882,7 @@ int ubifs_jnl_write_inode(struct ubifs_info *c, const struct inode *inode)
 		struct ubifs_dent_node *xent, *pxent = NULL;
 
 		if (ui->xattr_cnt > ubifs_xattr_max_cnt(c)) {
+			err = -EPERM;
 			ubifs_err(c, "Cannot delete inode, it has too much xattrs!");
 			goto out_release;
 		}