diff --git a/fs/cifs/smb2ops.c b/fs/cifs/smb2ops.c
index 4b0b14946343..e704e04891fb 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/smb2ops.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/smb2ops.c
@@ -2605,26 +2605,32 @@ smb2_query_symlink(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon,
 	err_buf = err_iov.iov_base;
 	if (le32_to_cpu(err_buf->ByteCount) < sizeof(struct smb2_symlink_err_rsp) ||
 	    err_iov.iov_len < SMB2_SYMLINK_STRUCT_SIZE) {
-		rc = -ENOENT;
+		rc = -EINVAL;
+		goto querty_exit;
+	}
+
+	symlink = (struct smb2_symlink_err_rsp *)err_buf->ErrorData;
+	if (le32_to_cpu(symlink->SymLinkErrorTag) != SYMLINK_ERROR_TAG ||
+	    le32_to_cpu(symlink->ReparseTag) != IO_REPARSE_TAG_SYMLINK) {
+		rc = -EINVAL;
 		goto querty_exit;
 	}
 
 	/* open must fail on symlink - reset rc */
 	rc = 0;
-	symlink = (struct smb2_symlink_err_rsp *)err_buf->ErrorData;
 	sub_len = le16_to_cpu(symlink->SubstituteNameLength);
 	sub_offset = le16_to_cpu(symlink->SubstituteNameOffset);
 	print_len = le16_to_cpu(symlink->PrintNameLength);
 	print_offset = le16_to_cpu(symlink->PrintNameOffset);
 
 	if (err_iov.iov_len < SMB2_SYMLINK_STRUCT_SIZE + sub_offset + sub_len) {
-		rc = -ENOENT;
+		rc = -EINVAL;
 		goto querty_exit;
 	}
 
 	if (err_iov.iov_len <
 	    SMB2_SYMLINK_STRUCT_SIZE + print_offset + print_len) {
-		rc = -ENOENT;
+		rc = -EINVAL;
 		goto querty_exit;
 	}
 
diff --git a/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.h b/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.h
index 458bad01ca74..7e2e782f8edd 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.h
+++ b/fs/cifs/smb2pdu.h
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ struct smb2_err_rsp {
 	__u8   ErrorData[1];  /* variable length */
 } __packed;
 
+#define SYMLINK_ERROR_TAG 0x4c4d5953
+
 struct smb2_symlink_err_rsp {
 	__le32 SymLinkLength;
 	__le32 SymLinkErrorTag;