diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/crypto.c b/fs/ecryptfs/crypto.c
index 4d1b2b4eb79e..7eaa395a77bd 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/crypto.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/crypto.c
@@ -355,8 +355,11 @@ static int encrypt_scatterlist(struct ecryptfs_crypt_stat *crypt_stat,
 	}
 	/* Consider doing this once, when the file is opened */
 	mutex_lock(&crypt_stat->cs_tfm_mutex);
-	rc = crypto_blkcipher_setkey(crypt_stat->tfm, crypt_stat->key,
-				     crypt_stat->key_size);
+	if (!(crypt_stat->flags & ECRYPTFS_KEY_SET)) {
+		rc = crypto_blkcipher_setkey(crypt_stat->tfm, crypt_stat->key,
+					     crypt_stat->key_size);
+		crypt_stat->flags |= ECRYPTFS_KEY_SET;
+	}
 	if (rc) {
 		ecryptfs_printk(KERN_ERR, "Error setting key; rc = [%d]\n",
 				rc);
diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/ecryptfs_kernel.h b/fs/ecryptfs/ecryptfs_kernel.h
index 3d637e9ca36a..2a6103954c1e 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/ecryptfs_kernel.h
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/ecryptfs_kernel.h
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ struct ecryptfs_crypt_stat {
 #define ECRYPTFS_KEY_VALID          0x00000080
 #define ECRYPTFS_METADATA_IN_XATTR  0x00000100
 #define ECRYPTFS_VIEW_AS_ENCRYPTED  0x00000200
+#define ECRYPTFS_KEY_SET            0x00000400
 	u32 flags;
 	unsigned int file_version;
 	size_t iv_bytes;