diff --git a/tools/virtiofsd/passthrough_ll.c b/tools/virtiofsd/passthrough_ll.c
index 3e56d1cd95..e27479f1c9 100644
--- a/tools/virtiofsd/passthrough_ll.c
+++ b/tools/virtiofsd/passthrough_ll.c
@@ -2001,6 +2001,30 @@ static int lo_do_open(struct lo_data *lo, struct lo_inode *inode,
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int do_lo_create(fuse_req_t req, struct lo_inode *parent_inode,
+                        const char *name, mode_t mode,
+                        struct fuse_file_info *fi, int* open_fd)
+{
+    int err = 0, fd;
+    struct lo_cred old = {};
+    struct lo_data *lo = lo_data(req);
+
+    err = lo_change_cred(req, &old, lo->change_umask);
+    if (err) {
+        return err;
+    }
+
+    /* Try to create a new file but don't open existing files */
+    fd = openat(parent_inode->fd, name, fi->flags | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, mode);
+    if (fd == -1) {
+        err = errno;
+    } else {
+        *open_fd = fd;
+    }
+    lo_restore_cred(&old, lo->change_umask);
+    return err;
+}
+
 static void lo_create(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t parent, const char *name,
                       mode_t mode, struct fuse_file_info *fi)
 {
@@ -2010,7 +2034,6 @@ static void lo_create(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t parent, const char *name,
     struct lo_inode *inode = NULL;
     struct fuse_entry_param e;
     int err;
-    struct lo_cred old = {};
 
     fuse_log(FUSE_LOG_DEBUG, "lo_create(parent=%" PRIu64 ", name=%s)"
              " kill_priv=%d\n", parent, name, fi->kill_priv);
@@ -2026,18 +2049,9 @@ static void lo_create(fuse_req_t req, fuse_ino_t parent, const char *name,
         return;
     }
 
-    err = lo_change_cred(req, &old, lo->change_umask);
-    if (err) {
-        goto out;
-    }
-
     update_open_flags(lo->writeback, lo->allow_direct_io, fi);
 
-    /* Try to create a new file but don't open existing files */
-    fd = openat(parent_inode->fd, name, fi->flags | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, mode);
-    err = fd == -1 ? errno : 0;
-
-    lo_restore_cred(&old, lo->change_umask);
+    err = do_lo_create(req, parent_inode, name, mode, fi, &fd);
 
     /* Ignore the error if file exists and O_EXCL was not given */
     if (err && (err != EEXIST || (fi->flags & O_EXCL))) {