diff --git a/fs/smb/client/file.c b/fs/smb/client/file.c
index cf17e3dd703e..32a8525415d9 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/file.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/file.c
@@ -4671,7 +4671,7 @@ static int cifs_readpage_worker(struct file *file, struct page *page,
 	/* we do not want atime to be less than mtime, it broke some apps */
 	atime = inode_set_atime_to_ts(inode, current_time(inode));
 	mtime = inode_get_mtime(inode);
-	if (timespec64_compare(&atime, &mtime))
+	if (timespec64_compare(&atime, &mtime) < 0)
 		inode_set_atime_to_ts(inode, inode_get_mtime(inode));
 
 	if (PAGE_SIZE > rc)