diff --git a/fs/debugfs/file.c b/fs/debugfs/file.c
index 87846aad594b..8fd45eb89424 100644
--- a/fs/debugfs/file.c
+++ b/fs/debugfs/file.c
@@ -142,18 +142,21 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(debugfs_file_put);
  * We also need to exclude any file that has ways to write or alter it as root
  * can bypass the permissions check.
  */
-static bool debugfs_is_locked_down(struct inode *inode,
-				   struct file *filp,
-				   const struct file_operations *real_fops)
+static int debugfs_locked_down(struct inode *inode,
+			       struct file *filp,
+			       const struct file_operations *real_fops)
 {
 	if ((inode->i_mode & 07777) == 0444 &&
 	    !(filp->f_mode & FMODE_WRITE) &&
 	    !real_fops->unlocked_ioctl &&
 	    !real_fops->compat_ioctl &&
 	    !real_fops->mmap)
-		return false;
+		return 0;
 
-	return security_locked_down(LOCKDOWN_DEBUGFS);
+	if (security_locked_down(LOCKDOWN_DEBUGFS))
+		return -EPERM;
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int open_proxy_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
@@ -168,7 +171,7 @@ static int open_proxy_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 
 	real_fops = debugfs_real_fops(filp);
 
-	r = debugfs_is_locked_down(inode, filp, real_fops);
+	r = debugfs_locked_down(inode, filp, real_fops);
 	if (r)
 		goto out;
 
@@ -298,7 +301,7 @@ static int full_proxy_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 
 	real_fops = debugfs_real_fops(filp);
 
-	r = debugfs_is_locked_down(inode, filp, real_fops);
+	r = debugfs_locked_down(inode, filp, real_fops);
 	if (r)
 		goto out;