diff --git a/kernel/events/core.c b/kernel/events/core.c
index 03db40f6cba90..43ceb8dae2644 100644
--- a/kernel/events/core.c
+++ b/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -11829,12 +11829,12 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE5(perf_event_open,
 			return err;
 	}
 
-	err = security_locked_down(LOCKDOWN_PERF);
-	if (err && (attr.sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_REGS_INTR))
-		/* REGS_INTR can leak data, lockdown must prevent this */
-		return err;
-
-	err = 0;
+	/* REGS_INTR can leak data, lockdown must prevent this */
+	if (attr.sample_type & PERF_SAMPLE_REGS_INTR) {
+		err = security_locked_down(LOCKDOWN_PERF);
+		if (err)
+			return err;
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * In cgroup mode, the pid argument is used to pass the fd