diff --git a/fs/f2fs/file.c b/fs/f2fs/file.c
index e21a1923056d..61f95731c858 100644
--- a/fs/f2fs/file.c
+++ b/fs/f2fs/file.c
@@ -2616,34 +2616,26 @@ static int f2fs_ioc_setproject(struct file *filp, __u32 projid)
 	if (projid_eq(kprojid, F2FS_I(inode)->i_projid))
 		return 0;
 
-	err = mnt_want_write_file(filp);
-	if (err)
-		return err;
-
 	err = -EPERM;
-	inode_lock(inode);
-
 	/* Is it quota file? Do not allow user to mess with it */
 	if (IS_NOQUOTA(inode))
-		goto out_unlock;
+		return err;
 
 	ipage = f2fs_get_node_page(sbi, inode->i_ino);
-	if (IS_ERR(ipage)) {
-		err = PTR_ERR(ipage);
-		goto out_unlock;
-	}
+	if (IS_ERR(ipage))
+		return PTR_ERR(ipage);
 
 	if (!F2FS_FITS_IN_INODE(F2FS_INODE(ipage), fi->i_extra_isize,
 								i_projid)) {
 		err = -EOVERFLOW;
 		f2fs_put_page(ipage, 1);
-		goto out_unlock;
+		return err;
 	}
 	f2fs_put_page(ipage, 1);
 
 	err = dquot_initialize(inode);
 	if (err)
-		goto out_unlock;
+		return err;
 
 	transfer_to[PRJQUOTA] = dqget(sb, make_kqid_projid(kprojid));
 	if (!IS_ERR(transfer_to[PRJQUOTA])) {
@@ -2657,9 +2649,6 @@ static int f2fs_ioc_setproject(struct file *filp, __u32 projid)
 	inode->i_ctime = current_time(inode);
 out_dirty:
 	f2fs_mark_inode_dirty_sync(inode, true);
-out_unlock:
-	inode_unlock(inode);
-	mnt_drop_write_file(filp);
 	return err;
 }
 #else
@@ -2735,6 +2724,30 @@ static int f2fs_ioc_fsgetxattr(struct file *filp, unsigned long arg)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int f2fs_ioctl_check_project(struct inode *inode, struct fsxattr *fa)
+{
+	/*
+	 * Project Quota ID state is only allowed to change from within the init
+	 * namespace. Enforce that restriction only if we are trying to change
+	 * the quota ID state. Everything else is allowed in user namespaces.
+	 */
+	if (current_user_ns() == &init_user_ns)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (__kprojid_val(F2FS_I(inode)->i_projid) != fa->fsx_projid)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (F2FS_I(inode)->i_flags & F2FS_PROJINHERIT_FL) {
+		if (!(fa->fsx_xflags & FS_XFLAG_PROJINHERIT))
+			return -EINVAL;
+	} else {
+		if (fa->fsx_xflags & FS_XFLAG_PROJINHERIT)
+			return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int f2fs_ioc_fssetxattr(struct file *filp, unsigned long arg)
 {
 	struct inode *inode = file_inode(filp);
@@ -2762,19 +2775,20 @@ static int f2fs_ioc_fssetxattr(struct file *filp, unsigned long arg)
 		return err;
 
 	inode_lock(inode);
+	err = f2fs_ioctl_check_project(inode, &fa);
+	if (err)
+		goto out;
 	flags = (fi->i_flags & ~F2FS_FL_XFLAG_VISIBLE) |
 				(flags & F2FS_FL_XFLAG_VISIBLE);
 	err = __f2fs_ioc_setflags(inode, flags);
-	inode_unlock(inode);
-	mnt_drop_write_file(filp);
 	if (err)
-		return err;
+		goto out;
 
 	err = f2fs_ioc_setproject(filp, fa.fsx_projid);
-	if (err)
-		return err;
-
-	return 0;
+out:
+	inode_unlock(inode);
+	mnt_drop_write_file(filp);
+	return err;
 }
 
 int f2fs_pin_file_control(struct inode *inode, bool inc)