if (unlikely(!filp))
                return -EBADF;
 
+       /* verify that this is indeed an inotify instance */
+       if (unlikely(filp->f_op != &inotify_fops)) {
+               ret = -EINVAL;
+               goto fput_and_out;
+       }
+
        ret = find_inode(path, &nd);
        if (unlikely(ret))
                goto fput_and_out;
        filp = fget_light(fd, &fput_needed);
        if (unlikely(!filp))
                return -EBADF;
+
+       /* verify that this is indeed an inotify instance */
+       if (unlikely(filp->f_op != &inotify_fops)) {
+               ret = -EINVAL;
+               goto out;
+       }
+
        dev = filp->private_data;
        ret = inotify_ignore(dev, wd);
-       fput_light(filp, fput_needed);
 
+out:
+       fput_light(filp, fput_needed);
        return ret;
 }