diff --git a/usr/lib/security-misc/permission-hardening b/usr/lib/security-misc/permission-hardening
index a11ca77..49a5866 100755
--- a/usr/lib/security-misc/permission-hardening
+++ b/usr/lib/security-misc/permission-hardening
@@ -154,11 +154,6 @@ set_file_perms() {
       continue
     fi
 
-    if ! [ -e "$fso" ]; then
-      echo "INFO: fso: '$fso' - does not exist. This is likely normal."
-      continue
-    fi
-
     fso_without_trailing_slash="${fso%/}"
 
     if [ "$mode_from_config" = "whitelist" ]; then
@@ -166,6 +161,11 @@ set_file_perms() {
       continue
     fi
 
+    if ! [ -e "$fso" ]; then
+      echo "INFO: fso: '$fso' - does not exist. This is likely normal."
+      continue
+    fi
+
     ## Use dpkg-statoverride  so permissions are not reset during upgrades.
 
     nosuid=""