diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
index 5eb32ff4a..51bcd00d1 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2004-04-13  Corinna Vinschen  <corinna@vinschen.de>
+
+	* security.cc (set_nt_attribute): Only call get_nt_object_security
+	if handle is NULL.
+
 2004-04-13  Corinna Vinschen  <corinna@vinschen.de>
 
 	* dir.cc (mkdir): Call set_file_attribute with additional handle
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/security.cc b/winsup/cygwin/security.cc
index 8abf40564..bbe409be4 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/security.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/security.cc
@@ -1824,7 +1824,7 @@ set_nt_attribute (HANDLE handle, const char *file,
 
   security_descriptor sd;
 
-  if (get_nt_object_security (handle, SE_FILE_OBJECT, sd)
+  if ((!handle || get_nt_object_security (handle, SE_FILE_OBJECT, sd))
       && read_sd (file, sd) <= 0)
     {
       debug_printf ("read_sd %E");