diff --git a/fs/smb/server/smb2pdu.c b/fs/smb/server/smb2pdu.c
index fe10c75f6f2b..028b1d1055b5 100644
--- a/fs/smb/server/smb2pdu.c
+++ b/fs/smb/server/smb2pdu.c
@@ -5559,7 +5559,7 @@ static int smb2_create_link(struct ksmbd_work *work,
 {
 	char *link_name = NULL, *target_name = NULL, *pathname = NULL;
 	struct path path;
-	bool file_present = true;
+	bool file_present = false;
 	int rc;
 
 	if (buf_len < (u64)sizeof(struct smb2_file_link_info) +
@@ -5592,8 +5592,8 @@ static int smb2_create_link(struct ksmbd_work *work,
 	if (rc) {
 		if (rc != -ENOENT)
 			goto out;
-		file_present = false;
-	}
+	} else
+		file_present = true;
 
 	if (file_info->ReplaceIfExists) {
 		if (file_present) {