diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/signal_32.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/signal_32.c
index 1844298f5ea4..68027bfa5f8e 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/signal_32.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/signal_32.c
@@ -445,6 +445,12 @@ static int save_user_regs(struct pt_regs *regs, struct mcontext __user *frame,
 #endif /* CONFIG_ALTIVEC */
 	if (copy_fpr_to_user(&frame->mc_fregs, current))
 		return 1;
+
+	/*
+	 * Clear the MSR VSX bit to indicate there is no valid state attached
+	 * to this context, except in the specific case below where we set it.
+	 */
+	msr &= ~MSR_VSX;
 #ifdef CONFIG_VSX
 	/*
 	 * Copy VSR 0-31 upper half from thread_struct to local
@@ -457,15 +463,7 @@ static int save_user_regs(struct pt_regs *regs, struct mcontext __user *frame,
 		if (copy_vsx_to_user(&frame->mc_vsregs, current))
 			return 1;
 		msr |= MSR_VSX;
-	} else if (!ctx_has_vsx_region)
-		/*
-		 * With a small context structure we can't hold the VSX
-		 * registers, hence clear the MSR value to indicate the state
-		 * was not saved.
-		 */
-		msr &= ~MSR_VSX;
-
-
+	}
 #endif /* CONFIG_VSX */
 #ifdef CONFIG_SPE
 	/* save spe registers */
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/signal_64.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/signal_64.c
index e66f67b8b9e6..42991045349f 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/signal_64.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/signal_64.c
@@ -122,6 +122,12 @@ static long setup_sigcontext(struct sigcontext __user *sc, struct pt_regs *regs,
 	flush_fp_to_thread(current);
 	/* copy fpr regs and fpscr */
 	err |= copy_fpr_to_user(&sc->fp_regs, current);
+
+	/*
+	 * Clear the MSR VSX bit to indicate there is no valid state attached
+	 * to this context, except in the specific case below where we set it.
+	 */
+	msr &= ~MSR_VSX;
 #ifdef CONFIG_VSX
 	/*
 	 * Copy VSX low doubleword to local buffer for formatting,