diff --git a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
index 604ba3e841d2..6e3513b13cfa 100644
--- a/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
+++ b/fs/tracefs/event_inode.c
@@ -438,6 +438,8 @@ static inline struct eventfs_inode *init_ei(struct eventfs_inode *ei, const char
 	if (!ei->name)
 		return NULL;
 	kref_init(&ei->kref);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ei->children);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ei->list);
 	return ei;
 }
 
@@ -729,8 +731,6 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_dir(const char *name, struct eventfs_inode
 	ei->entries = entries;
 	ei->nr_entries = size;
 	ei->data = data;
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ei->children);
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ei->list);
 
 	scoped_guard(mutex, &eventfs_mutex) {
 		if (!parent->is_freed)
@@ -802,9 +802,6 @@ struct eventfs_inode *eventfs_create_events_dir(const char *name, struct dentry
 	ei->attr.uid = uid;
 	ei->attr.gid = gid;
 
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ei->children);
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ei->list);
-
 	ti = get_tracefs(inode);
 	ti->flags |= TRACEFS_EVENT_INODE;
 	ti->private = ei;