diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/ecryptfs_kernel.h b/fs/ecryptfs/ecryptfs_kernel.h
index 0deb4f2..9f77ff8 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/ecryptfs_kernel.h
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/ecryptfs_kernel.h
@@ -563,6 +563,8 @@
 struct inode *ecryptfs_get_inode(struct inode *lower_inode,
 				 struct super_block *sb);
 void ecryptfs_i_size_init(const char *page_virt, struct inode *inode);
+int ecryptfs_initialize_file(struct dentry *ecryptfs_dentry,
+			     struct inode *ecryptfs_inode);
 int ecryptfs_decode_and_decrypt_filename(char **decrypted_name,
 					 size_t *decrypted_name_size,
 					 struct dentry *ecryptfs_dentry,
diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/file.c b/fs/ecryptfs/file.c
index 2b17f2f..baf8b055 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/file.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/file.c
@@ -161,6 +161,48 @@
 
 struct kmem_cache *ecryptfs_file_info_cache;
 
+static int read_or_initialize_metadata(struct dentry *dentry)
+{
+	struct inode *inode = dentry->d_inode;
+	struct ecryptfs_mount_crypt_stat *mount_crypt_stat;
+	struct ecryptfs_crypt_stat *crypt_stat;
+	int rc;
+
+	crypt_stat = &ecryptfs_inode_to_private(inode)->crypt_stat;
+	mount_crypt_stat = &ecryptfs_superblock_to_private(
+						inode->i_sb)->mount_crypt_stat;
+	mutex_lock(&crypt_stat->cs_mutex);
+
+	if (crypt_stat->flags & ECRYPTFS_POLICY_APPLIED &&
+	    crypt_stat->flags & ECRYPTFS_KEY_VALID) {
+		rc = 0;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	rc = ecryptfs_read_metadata(dentry);
+	if (!rc)
+		goto out;
+
+	if (mount_crypt_stat->flags & ECRYPTFS_PLAINTEXT_PASSTHROUGH_ENABLED) {
+		crypt_stat->flags &= ~(ECRYPTFS_I_SIZE_INITIALIZED
+				       | ECRYPTFS_ENCRYPTED);
+		rc = 0;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	if (!(mount_crypt_stat->flags & ECRYPTFS_XATTR_METADATA_ENABLED) &&
+	    !i_size_read(ecryptfs_inode_to_lower(inode))) {
+		rc = ecryptfs_initialize_file(dentry, inode);
+		if (!rc)
+			goto out;
+	}
+
+	rc = -EIO;
+out:
+	mutex_unlock(&crypt_stat->cs_mutex);
+	return rc;
+}
+
 /**
  * ecryptfs_open
  * @inode: inode speciying file to open
@@ -236,32 +278,9 @@
 		rc = 0;
 		goto out;
 	}
-	mutex_lock(&crypt_stat->cs_mutex);
-	if (!(crypt_stat->flags & ECRYPTFS_POLICY_APPLIED)
-	    || !(crypt_stat->flags & ECRYPTFS_KEY_VALID)) {
-		rc = ecryptfs_read_metadata(ecryptfs_dentry);
-		if (rc) {
-			ecryptfs_printk(KERN_DEBUG,
-					"Valid headers not found\n");
-			if (!(mount_crypt_stat->flags
-			      & ECRYPTFS_PLAINTEXT_PASSTHROUGH_ENABLED)) {
-				rc = -EIO;
-				printk(KERN_WARNING "Either the lower file "
-				       "is not in a valid eCryptfs format, "
-				       "or the key could not be retrieved. "
-				       "Plaintext passthrough mode is not "
-				       "enabled; returning -EIO\n");
-				mutex_unlock(&crypt_stat->cs_mutex);
-				goto out_put;
-			}
-			rc = 0;
-			crypt_stat->flags &= ~(ECRYPTFS_I_SIZE_INITIALIZED
-					       | ECRYPTFS_ENCRYPTED);
-			mutex_unlock(&crypt_stat->cs_mutex);
-			goto out;
-		}
-	}
-	mutex_unlock(&crypt_stat->cs_mutex);
+	rc = read_or_initialize_metadata(ecryptfs_dentry);
+	if (rc)
+		goto out_put;
 	ecryptfs_printk(KERN_DEBUG, "inode w/ addr = [0x%p], i_ino = "
 			"[0x%.16lx] size: [0x%.16llx]\n", inode, inode->i_ino,
 			(unsigned long long)i_size_read(inode));
diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
index 65efe5f..2d4143f 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
@@ -227,8 +227,8 @@
  *
  * Returns zero on success
  */
-static int ecryptfs_initialize_file(struct dentry *ecryptfs_dentry,
-				    struct inode *ecryptfs_inode)
+int ecryptfs_initialize_file(struct dentry *ecryptfs_dentry,
+			     struct inode *ecryptfs_inode)
 {
 	struct ecryptfs_crypt_stat *crypt_stat =
 		&ecryptfs_inode_to_private(ecryptfs_inode)->crypt_stat;