diff --git a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib-cdev.c b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib-cdev.c
index 9dad67ea25974ea4c2dd68d267d728af7603f2bc..04261adf320b85ad65c8efc25989b40c7224c887 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib-cdev.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib-cdev.c
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ struct linehandle_state {
 	GPIOHANDLE_REQUEST_OPEN_DRAIN | \
 	GPIOHANDLE_REQUEST_OPEN_SOURCE)
 
+#define GPIOHANDLE_REQUEST_DIRECTION_FLAGS \
+	(GPIOHANDLE_REQUEST_INPUT | \
+	 GPIOHANDLE_REQUEST_OUTPUT)
+
 static int linehandle_validate_flags(u32 flags)
 {
 	/* Return an error if an unknown flag is set */
@@ -169,21 +173,21 @@ static long linehandle_set_config(struct linehandle_state *lh,
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
+	/* Lines must be reconfigured explicitly as input or output. */
+	if (!(lflags & GPIOHANDLE_REQUEST_DIRECTION_FLAGS))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	for (i = 0; i < lh->num_descs; i++) {
 		desc = lh->descs[i];
-		linehandle_flags_to_desc_flags(gcnf.flags, &desc->flags);
+		linehandle_flags_to_desc_flags(lflags, &desc->flags);
 
-		/*
-		 * Lines have to be requested explicitly for input
-		 * or output, else the line will be treated "as is".
-		 */
 		if (lflags & GPIOHANDLE_REQUEST_OUTPUT) {
 			int val = !!gcnf.default_values[i];
 
 			ret = gpiod_direction_output(desc, val);
 			if (ret)
 				return ret;
-		} else if (lflags & GPIOHANDLE_REQUEST_INPUT) {
+		} else {
 			ret = gpiod_direction_input(desc);
 			if (ret)
 				return ret;