diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/file.c b/fs/overlayfs/file.c
index 32e9282893c9..a4acd84591d4 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/file.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/file.c
@@ -131,9 +131,6 @@ static int ovl_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 	if (IS_ERR(realfile))
 		return PTR_ERR(realfile);
 
-	/* For O_DIRECT dentry_open() checks f_mapping->a_ops->direct_IO */
-	file->f_mapping = realfile->f_mapping;
-
 	file->private_data = realfile;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/inode.c b/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
index 5014749fd4b4..b6ac545b5a32 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
@@ -504,6 +504,11 @@ static const struct inode_operations ovl_special_inode_operations = {
 	.update_time	= ovl_update_time,
 };
 
+const struct address_space_operations ovl_aops = {
+	/* For O_DIRECT dentry_open() checks f_mapping->a_ops->direct_IO */
+	.direct_IO		= noop_direct_IO,
+};
+
 /*
  * It is possible to stack overlayfs instance on top of another
  * overlayfs instance as lower layer. We need to annonate the
@@ -575,6 +580,7 @@ static void ovl_fill_inode(struct inode *inode, umode_t mode, dev_t rdev,
 	case S_IFREG:
 		inode->i_op = &ovl_file_inode_operations;
 		inode->i_fop = &ovl_file_operations;
+		inode->i_mapping->a_ops = &ovl_aops;
 		break;
 
 	case S_IFDIR: