diff --git a/src/basic/fs-util.c b/src/basic/fs-util.c
index bbf2fea3e6..7ccd3f6750 100644
--- a/src/basic/fs-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/fs-util.c
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ int xopenat_full(int dir_fd, const char *path, int open_flags, XOpenFlags xopen_
                         made_dir = true;
 
                 if (FLAGS_SET(xopen_flags, XO_LABEL)) {
-                        r = label_ops_post(dir_fd, path);
+                        r = label_ops_post(dir_fd, path, made_dir);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 goto error;
                 }
@@ -1211,7 +1211,7 @@ int xopenat_full(int dir_fd, const char *path, int open_flags, XOpenFlags xopen_
         }
 
         if (FLAGS_SET(open_flags, O_CREAT) && FLAGS_SET(xopen_flags, XO_LABEL)) {
-                r = label_ops_post(dir_fd, path);
+                r = label_ops_post(dir_fd, path, made_file || made_dir);
                 if (r < 0)
                         goto error;
         }
diff --git a/src/basic/label.c b/src/basic/label.c
index 8b084a7c05..47d1967825 100644
--- a/src/basic/label.c
+++ b/src/basic/label.c
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ int label_ops_pre(int dir_fd, const char *path, mode_t mode) {
         return label_ops->pre(dir_fd, path, mode);
 }
 
-int label_ops_post(int dir_fd, const char *path) {
+int label_ops_post(int dir_fd, const char *path, bool created) {
         if (!label_ops || !label_ops->post)
                 return 0;
 
-        return label_ops->post(dir_fd, path);
+        return label_ops->post(dir_fd, path, created);
 }
 
 void label_ops_reset(void) {
diff --git a/src/basic/label.h b/src/basic/label.h
index a070bf28cc..eb851bcb4f 100644
--- a/src/basic/label.h
+++ b/src/basic/label.h
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
 #pragma once
 
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
 typedef struct LabelOps {
         int (*pre)(int dir_fd, const char *path, mode_t mode);
-        int (*post)(int dir_fd, const char *path);
+        int (*post)(int dir_fd, const char *path, bool created);
 } LabelOps;
 
 int label_ops_set(const LabelOps *label_ops);
 
 int label_ops_pre(int dir_fd, const char *path, mode_t mode);
-int label_ops_post(int dir_fd, const char *path);
+int label_ops_post(int dir_fd, const char *path, bool created);
+
 void label_ops_reset(void);
diff --git a/src/shared/selinux-util.c b/src/shared/selinux-util.c
index e4f6e07e53..4d3b127d8e 100644
--- a/src/shared/selinux-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/selinux-util.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static int mac_selinux_label_pre(int dir_fd, const char *path, mode_t mode) {
         return mac_selinux_create_file_prepare_at(dir_fd, path, mode);
 }
 
-static int mac_selinux_label_post(int dir_fd, const char *path) {
+static int mac_selinux_label_post(int dir_fd, const char *path, bool created) {
         mac_selinux_create_file_clear();
         return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/shared/smack-util.c b/src/shared/smack-util.c
index 1f88e724d0..d0a79b2635 100644
--- a/src/shared/smack-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/smack-util.c
@@ -294,7 +294,10 @@ static int mac_smack_label_pre(int dir_fd, const char *path, mode_t mode) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-static int mac_smack_label_post(int dir_fd, const char *path) {
+static int mac_smack_label_post(int dir_fd, const char *path, bool created) {
+        if (!created)
+                return 0;
+
         return mac_smack_fix_full(dir_fd, path, NULL, 0);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/test-label.c b/src/test/test-label.c
index 9d7ac18ba9..06690ec86c 100644
--- a/src/test/test-label.c
+++ b/src/test/test-label.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ static int pre_labelling_func(int dir_fd, const char *path, mode_t mode) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-static int post_labelling_func(int dir_fd, const char *path) {
+static int post_labelling_func(int dir_fd, const char *path, bool created) {
        int r;
 
         /* assume label policies that restrict certain labels */
@@ -140,17 +140,17 @@ TEST(label_ops_post) {
         text1 = "Add initial texts to file for testing label operations to file1\n";
 
         assert(labelling_op(fd, text1, "file1.txt", 0644) == 0);
-        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "file1.txt") == 0);
+        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "file1.txt", true) == 0);
         assert_se(strlen(text1) == (size_t)buf.st_size);
         text2 = "Add text2 data to file2\n";
 
         assert(labelling_op(fd, text2, "file2.txt", 0644) == 0);
-        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "file2.txt") == 0);
+        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "file2.txt", true) == 0);
         assert_se(strlen(text2) == (size_t)buf.st_size);
-        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "file3.txt") == -ENOENT);
-        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "/abcd") == -ENOENT);
-        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "/restricted_directory") == -EACCES);
-        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "") == -EINVAL);
+        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "file3.txt", true) == -ENOENT);
+        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "/abcd", true) == -ENOENT);
+        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "/restricted_directory", true) == -EACCES);
+        assert_se(label_ops_post(fd, "", true) == -EINVAL);
 }
 
 DEFINE_TEST_MAIN(LOG_INFO)