diff --git a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.c b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.c
index ab4714263d..c8c8c4b8f4 100644
--- a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.c
+++ b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_core.c
@@ -752,6 +752,11 @@ struct node *read_node(struct connection *conn, const void *ctx,
 		goto error;
 	}
 
+	/* Data is binary blob (usually ascii, no nul). */
+	node->data = node->perms + hdr->num_perms;
+	/* Children is strings, nul separated. */
+	node->children = node->data + node->hdr.datalen;
+
 	if (domain_adjust_node_perms(node))
 		goto error;
 
@@ -759,11 +764,6 @@ struct node *read_node(struct connection *conn, const void *ctx,
 	if (node->acc.domid != get_node_owner(node))
 		node->acc.memory = 0;
 
-	/* Data is binary blob (usually ascii, no nul). */
-	node->data = node->perms + hdr->num_perms;
-	/* Children is strings, nul separated. */
-	node->children = node->data + node->hdr.datalen;
-
 	if (access_node(conn, node, NODE_ACCESS_READ, NULL))
 		goto error;
 
diff --git a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.c b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.c
index fdf1095acb..c00ea397cf 100644
--- a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.c
+++ b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.c
@@ -1334,13 +1334,29 @@ int domain_alloc_permrefs(struct node_perms *perms)
 int domain_adjust_node_perms(struct node *node)
 {
 	unsigned int i;
+	struct xs_permissions *perms = node->perms;
+	bool copied = false;
 
 	for (i = 1; i < node->hdr.num_perms; i++) {
-		if (node->perms[i].perms & XS_PERM_IGNORE)
+		if ((perms[i].perms & XS_PERM_IGNORE) ||
+		    chk_domain_generation(perms[i].id, node->hdr.generation))
 			continue;
-		if (!chk_domain_generation(node->perms[i].id,
-					   node->hdr.generation))
-			node->perms[i].perms |= XS_PERM_IGNORE;
+
+		/*
+		 * Don't do a in-place modification, as the node might
+		 * reference data directly in the data base, which we don't
+		 * want to modify.
+		 */
+		if (!copied) {
+			perms = talloc_memdup(node, node->perms,
+					node->hdr.num_perms * sizeof(*perms));
+			if (!perms)
+				return ENOMEM;
+			node->perms = perms;
+			copied = true;
+		}
+
+		perms[i].perms |= XS_PERM_IGNORE;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.h b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.h
index 4950b00aee..7625dca8cd 100644
--- a/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.h
+++ b/tools/xenstore/xenstored_domain.h
@@ -90,8 +90,14 @@ void ignore_connection(struct connection *conn, unsigned int err);
 /* Returns the implicit path of a connection (only domains have this) */
 const char *get_implicit_path(const struct connection *conn);
 
-/* Remove node permissions for no longer existing domains. */
+/*
+ * Remove node permissions for no longer existing domains.
+ * In case of a change of permissions the related array is reallocated in
+ * order to avoid a data base change when operating on a node directly
+ * referencing the data base contents.
+ */
 int domain_adjust_node_perms(struct node *node);
+
 int domain_alloc_permrefs(struct node_perms *perms);
 
 /* Quota manipulation */