diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfs4recover.c b/fs/nfsd/nfs4recover.c
index 64f4af3651a1b36a7ed7c01c054d70b2fee90642..06da7506363cbcd1548c0e0a59302db497d7ca21 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfs4recover.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfs4recover.c
@@ -399,9 +399,10 @@ nfsd4_init_recdir(char *rec_dirname)
 
 	nfs4_save_user(&uid, &gid);
 
-	status = path_lookup(rec_dirname, LOOKUP_FOLLOW, &rec_dir);
-	if (status == -ENOENT)
-		printk("NFSD: recovery directory %s doesn't exist\n",
+	status = path_lookup(rec_dirname, LOOKUP_FOLLOW | LOOKUP_DIRECTORY,
+			&rec_dir);
+	if (status)
+		printk("NFSD: unable to find recovery directory %s\n",
 				rec_dirname);
 
 	if (!status)