diff --git a/kernel/sys.c b/kernel/sys.c
index 75b9c9b1fdc9..3e4e8930fafc 100644
--- a/kernel/sys.c
+++ b/kernel/sys.c
@@ -472,6 +472,16 @@ static int set_user(struct cred *new)
 	if (!new_user)
 		return -EAGAIN;
 
+	free_uid(new->user);
+	new->user = new_user;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void flag_nproc_exceeded(struct cred *new)
+{
+	if (new->ucounts == current_ucounts())
+		return;
+
 	/*
 	 * We don't fail in case of NPROC limit excess here because too many
 	 * poorly written programs don't check set*uid() return code, assuming
@@ -480,14 +490,10 @@ static int set_user(struct cred *new)
 	 * failure to the execve() stage.
 	 */
 	if (is_ucounts_overlimit(new->ucounts, UCOUNT_RLIMIT_NPROC, rlimit(RLIMIT_NPROC)) &&
-			new_user != INIT_USER)
+			new->user != INIT_USER)
 		current->flags |= PF_NPROC_EXCEEDED;
 	else
 		current->flags &= ~PF_NPROC_EXCEEDED;
-
-	free_uid(new->user);
-	new->user = new_user;
-	return 0;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -562,6 +568,7 @@ long __sys_setreuid(uid_t ruid, uid_t euid)
 	if (retval < 0)
 		goto error;
 
+	flag_nproc_exceeded(new);
 	return commit_creds(new);
 
 error:
@@ -624,6 +631,7 @@ long __sys_setuid(uid_t uid)
 	if (retval < 0)
 		goto error;
 
+	flag_nproc_exceeded(new);
 	return commit_creds(new);
 
 error:
@@ -703,6 +711,7 @@ long __sys_setresuid(uid_t ruid, uid_t euid, uid_t suid)
 	if (retval < 0)
 		goto error;
 
+	flag_nproc_exceeded(new);
 	return commit_creds(new);
 
 error: