diff --git a/fs/orangefs/acl.c b/fs/orangefs/acl.c
index 7a3754488312..9409aac232f7 100644
--- a/fs/orangefs/acl.c
+++ b/fs/orangefs/acl.c
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ struct posix_acl *orangefs_get_acl(struct inode *inode, int type)
 	return acl;
 }
 
-int orangefs_set_acl(struct inode *inode, struct posix_acl *acl, int type)
+static int __orangefs_set_acl(struct inode *inode, struct posix_acl *acl,
+			      int type)
 {
-	struct orangefs_inode_s *orangefs_inode = ORANGEFS_I(inode);
 	int error = 0;
 	void *value = NULL;
 	size_t size = 0;
@@ -72,22 +72,6 @@ int orangefs_set_acl(struct inode *inode, struct posix_acl *acl, int type)
 	switch (type) {
 	case ACL_TYPE_ACCESS:
 		name = XATTR_NAME_POSIX_ACL_ACCESS;
-		if (acl) {
-			umode_t mode;
-
-			error = posix_acl_update_mode(inode, &mode, &acl);
-			if (error) {
-				gossip_err("%s: posix_acl_update_mode err: %d\n",
-					   __func__,
-					   error);
-				return error;
-			}
-
-			if (inode->i_mode != mode)
-				SetModeFlag(orangefs_inode);
-			inode->i_mode = mode;
-			mark_inode_dirty_sync(inode);
-		}
 		break;
 	case ACL_TYPE_DEFAULT:
 		name = XATTR_NAME_POSIX_ACL_DEFAULT;
@@ -132,6 +116,29 @@ int orangefs_set_acl(struct inode *inode, struct posix_acl *acl, int type)
 	return error;
 }
 
+int orangefs_set_acl(struct inode *inode, struct posix_acl *acl, int type)
+{
+	int error;
+
+	if (type == ACL_TYPE_ACCESS && acl) {
+		umode_t mode;
+
+		error = posix_acl_update_mode(inode, &mode, &acl);
+		if (error) {
+			gossip_err("%s: posix_acl_update_mode err: %d\n",
+				   __func__,
+				   error);
+			return error;
+		}
+
+		if (inode->i_mode != mode)
+			SetModeFlag(ORANGEFS_I(inode));
+		inode->i_mode = mode;
+		mark_inode_dirty_sync(inode);
+	}
+	return __orangefs_set_acl(inode, acl, type);
+}
+
 int orangefs_init_acl(struct inode *inode, struct inode *dir)
 {
 	struct orangefs_inode_s *orangefs_inode = ORANGEFS_I(inode);
@@ -146,13 +153,14 @@ int orangefs_init_acl(struct inode *inode, struct inode *dir)
 		return error;
 
 	if (default_acl) {
-		error = orangefs_set_acl(inode, default_acl, ACL_TYPE_DEFAULT);
+		error = __orangefs_set_acl(inode, default_acl,
+					   ACL_TYPE_DEFAULT);
 		posix_acl_release(default_acl);
 	}
 
 	if (acl) {
 		if (!error)
-			error = orangefs_set_acl(inode, acl, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS);
+			error = __orangefs_set_acl(inode, acl, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS);
 		posix_acl_release(acl);
 	}