diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/export.c b/fs/overlayfs/export.c
index ed73e363c7b1..bb290cd1e727 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/export.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/export.c
@@ -311,9 +311,6 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_obtain_alias(struct super_block *sb,
 		return ERR_CAST(inode);
 	}
 
-	if (index)
-		ovl_set_flag(OVL_INDEX, inode);
-
 	dentry = d_find_any_alias(inode);
 	if (!dentry) {
 		dentry = d_alloc_anon(inode->i_sb);
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/inode.c b/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
index 1d75b2e96c96..b3be0cfd4c92 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
@@ -770,6 +770,9 @@ struct inode *ovl_get_inode(struct super_block *sb, struct dentry *upperdentry,
 	if (upperdentry && ovl_is_impuredir(upperdentry))
 		ovl_set_flag(OVL_IMPURE, inode);
 
+	if (index)
+		ovl_set_flag(OVL_INDEX, inode);
+
 	/* Check for non-merge dir that may have whiteouts */
 	if (is_dir) {
 		if (((upperdentry && lowerdentry) || numlower > 1) ||
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/namei.c b/fs/overlayfs/namei.c
index 0a26b76590d5..72230b759b58 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/namei.c
@@ -1007,8 +1007,6 @@ struct dentry *ovl_lookup(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 			goto out_free_oe;
 
 		OVL_I(inode)->redirect = upperredirect;
-		if (index)
-			ovl_set_flag(OVL_INDEX, inode);
 	}
 
 	revert_creds(old_cred);