diff --git a/source3/modules/vfs_streams_xattr.c b/source3/modules/vfs_streams_xattr.c
index 324490354b0..3e39770bb37 100644
--- a/source3/modules/vfs_streams_xattr.c
+++ b/source3/modules/vfs_streams_xattr.c
@@ -479,6 +479,8 @@ static int streams_xattr_unlinkat(vfs_handle_struct *handle,
 	NTSTATUS status;
 	int ret = -1;
 	char *xattr_name = NULL;
+	struct smb_filename *pathref = NULL;
+	struct files_struct *fsp = smb_fname->fsp;
 
 	if (!is_named_stream(smb_fname)) {
 		return SMB_VFS_NEXT_UNLINKAT(handle,
@@ -497,10 +499,26 @@ static int streams_xattr_unlinkat(vfs_handle_struct *handle,
 		goto fail;
 	}
 
-	SMB_ASSERT(smb_fname->fsp != NULL);
-	SMB_ASSERT(fsp_is_alternate_stream(smb_fname->fsp));
+	if (fsp == NULL) {
+		status = synthetic_pathref(talloc_tos(),
+					handle->conn->cwd_fsp,
+					smb_fname->base_name,
+					NULL,
+					NULL,
+					smb_fname->twrp,
+					smb_fname->flags,
+					&pathref);
+		if (!NT_STATUS_IS_OK(status)) {
+			errno = ENOENT;
+			goto fail;
+		}
+		fsp = pathref->fsp;
+	} else {
+		SMB_ASSERT(fsp_is_alternate_stream(smb_fname->fsp));
+		fsp = fsp->base_fsp;
+	}
 
-	ret = SMB_VFS_FREMOVEXATTR(smb_fname->fsp->base_fsp, xattr_name);
+	ret = SMB_VFS_FREMOVEXATTR(fsp, xattr_name);
 
 	if ((ret == -1) && (errno == ENOATTR)) {
 		errno = ENOENT;
@@ -511,6 +529,7 @@ static int streams_xattr_unlinkat(vfs_handle_struct *handle,
 
  fail:
 	TALLOC_FREE(xattr_name);
+	TALLOC_FREE(pathref);
 	return ret;
 }