diff --git a/fs/nfsd/vfs.c b/fs/nfsd/vfs.c
index 4f2cd3d27566..af7c3c3074b0 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/vfs.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/vfs.c
@@ -254,12 +254,19 @@ nfsd_setattr(struct svc_rqst *rqstp, struct svc_fh *fhp, struct iattr *iap,
 
 	/* Get inode */
 	err = fh_verify(rqstp, fhp, ftype, accmode);
-	if (err || !iap->ia_valid)
+	if (err)
 		goto out;
 
 	dentry = fhp->fh_dentry;
 	inode = dentry->d_inode;
 
+	/* Ignore any mode updates on symlinks */
+	if (S_ISLNK(inode->i_mode))
+		iap->ia_valid &= ~ATTR_MODE;
+
+	if (!iap->ia_valid)
+		goto out;
+
 	/* NFSv2 does not differentiate between "set-[ac]time-to-now"
 	 * which only requires access, and "set-[ac]time-to-X" which
 	 * requires ownership.