diff --git a/security/keys/key.c b/security/keys/key.c
index a057e3311aad..b6061fa29da7 100644
--- a/security/keys/key.c
+++ b/security/keys/key.c
@@ -785,6 +785,10 @@ key_ref_t key_create_or_update(key_ref_t keyring_ref,
 
 	key_check(keyring);
 
+	key_ref = ERR_PTR(-ENOTDIR);
+	if (keyring->type != &key_type_keyring)
+		goto error_2;
+
 	down_write(&keyring->sem);
 
 	/* if we're going to allocate a new key, we're going to have
diff --git a/security/keys/keyring.c b/security/keys/keyring.c
index d65a180f888d..bffa924c1f88 100644
--- a/security/keys/keyring.c
+++ b/security/keys/keyring.c
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(keyring_search);
 /*
  * search the given keyring only (no recursion)
  * - keyring must be locked by caller
+ * - caller must guarantee that the keyring is a keyring
  */
 key_ref_t __keyring_search_one(key_ref_t keyring_ref,
 			       const struct key_type *ktype,