diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index a3ed3f2980cb..9c4d307a82cd 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -5191,39 +5191,45 @@ static int statmount_string(struct kstatmount *s, u64 flag)
 	size_t kbufsize;
 	struct seq_file *seq = &s->seq;
 	struct statmount *sm = &s->sm;
-	u32 start = seq->count;
+	u32 start, *offp;
+
+	/* Reserve an empty string at the beginning for any unset offsets */
+	if (!seq->count)
+		seq_putc(seq, 0);
+
+	start = seq->count;
 
 	switch (flag) {
 	case STATMOUNT_FS_TYPE:
-		sm->fs_type = start;
+		offp = &sm->fs_type;
 		ret = statmount_fs_type(s, seq);
 		break;
 	case STATMOUNT_MNT_ROOT:
-		sm->mnt_root = start;
+		offp = &sm->mnt_root;
 		ret = statmount_mnt_root(s, seq);
 		break;
 	case STATMOUNT_MNT_POINT:
-		sm->mnt_point = start;
+		offp = &sm->mnt_point;
 		ret = statmount_mnt_point(s, seq);
 		break;
 	case STATMOUNT_MNT_OPTS:
-		sm->mnt_opts = start;
+		offp = &sm->mnt_opts;
 		ret = statmount_mnt_opts(s, seq);
 		break;
 	case STATMOUNT_OPT_ARRAY:
-		sm->opt_array = start;
+		offp = &sm->opt_array;
 		ret = statmount_opt_array(s, seq);
 		break;
 	case STATMOUNT_OPT_SEC_ARRAY:
-		sm->opt_sec_array = start;
+		offp = &sm->opt_sec_array;
 		ret = statmount_opt_sec_array(s, seq);
 		break;
 	case STATMOUNT_FS_SUBTYPE:
-		sm->fs_subtype = start;
+		offp = &sm->fs_subtype;
 		statmount_fs_subtype(s, seq);
 		break;
 	case STATMOUNT_SB_SOURCE:
-		sm->sb_source = start;
+		offp = &sm->sb_source;
 		ret = statmount_sb_source(s, seq);
 		break;
 	default:
@@ -5251,6 +5257,7 @@ static int statmount_string(struct kstatmount *s, u64 flag)
 
 	seq->buf[seq->count++] = '\0';
 	sm->mask |= flag;
+	*offp = start;
 	return 0;
 }