diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
index 0a50942b4378479d5a9dee07a6d815a628468c2d..131954b3fb98b588db1802301c70ffe2c0196963 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/inode.c
@@ -353,6 +353,10 @@ static struct dentry *ecryptfs_lookup(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry,
 		ecryptfs_printk(KERN_DEBUG, "Is a symlink; returning\n");
 		goto out;
 	}
+	if (special_file(lower_inode->i_mode)) {
+		ecryptfs_printk(KERN_DEBUG, "Is a special file; returning\n");
+		goto out;
+	}
 	if (!nd) {
 		ecryptfs_printk(KERN_DEBUG, "We have a NULL nd, just leave"
 				"as we *think* we are about to unlink\n");