extern struct kmem_cache *ecryptfs_key_sig_cache;
 extern struct kmem_cache *ecryptfs_global_auth_tok_cache;
 extern struct kmem_cache *ecryptfs_key_tfm_cache;
+extern struct kmem_cache *ecryptfs_open_req_cache;
+
+struct ecryptfs_open_req {
+#define ECRYPTFS_REQ_PROCESSED 0x00000001
+#define ECRYPTFS_REQ_DROPPED   0x00000002
+#define ECRYPTFS_REQ_ZOMBIE    0x00000004
+       u32 flags;
+       struct file **lower_file;
+       struct dentry *lower_dentry;
+       struct vfsmount *lower_mnt;
+       wait_queue_head_t wait;
+       struct mutex mux;
+       struct list_head kthread_ctl_list;
+};
 
 int ecryptfs_interpose(struct dentry *hidden_dentry,
                       struct dentry *this_dentry, struct super_block *sb,
 int
 ecryptfs_spawn_daemon(struct ecryptfs_daemon **daemon, uid_t euid,
                      struct user_namespace *user_ns, struct pid *pid);
+int ecryptfs_init_kthread(void);
+void ecryptfs_destroy_kthread(void);
+int ecryptfs_privileged_open(struct file **lower_file,
+                            struct dentry *lower_dentry,
+                            struct vfsmount *lower_mnt);
 
 #endif /* #ifndef ECRYPTFS_KERNEL_H */
 
--- /dev/null
+/**
+ * eCryptfs: Linux filesystem encryption layer
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2008 International Business Machines Corp.
+ *   Author(s): Michael A. Halcrow <mahalcro@us.ibm.com>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA
+ * 02111-1307, USA.
+ */
+
+#include <linux/kthread.h>
+#include <linux/freezer.h>
+#include <linux/wait.h>
+#include <linux/mount.h>
+#include "ecryptfs_kernel.h"
+
+struct kmem_cache *ecryptfs_open_req_cache;
+
+static struct ecryptfs_kthread_ctl {
+#define ECRYPTFS_KTHREAD_ZOMBIE 0x00000001
+       u32 flags;
+       struct mutex mux;
+       struct list_head req_list;
+       wait_queue_head_t wait;
+} ecryptfs_kthread_ctl;
+
+static struct task_struct *ecryptfs_kthread;
+
+/**
+ * ecryptfs_threadfn
+ * @ignored: ignored
+ *
+ * The eCryptfs kernel thread that has the responsibility of getting
+ * the lower persistent file with RW permissions.
+ *
+ * Returns zero on success; non-zero otherwise
+ */
+static int ecryptfs_threadfn(void *ignored)
+{
+       set_freezable();
+       while (1)  {
+               struct ecryptfs_open_req *req;
+
+               wait_event_freezable(
+                       ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.wait,
+                       (!list_empty(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.req_list)
+                        || kthread_should_stop()));
+               mutex_lock(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.mux);
+               if (ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.flags & ECRYPTFS_KTHREAD_ZOMBIE) {
+                       mutex_unlock(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.mux);
+                       goto out;
+               }
+               while (!list_empty(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.req_list)) {
+                       req = list_first_entry(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.req_list,
+                                              struct ecryptfs_open_req,
+                                              kthread_ctl_list);
+                       mutex_lock(&req->mux);
+                       list_del(&req->kthread_ctl_list);
+                       if (!(req->flags & ECRYPTFS_REQ_ZOMBIE)) {
+                               dget(req->lower_dentry);
+                               mntget(req->lower_mnt);
+                               (*req->lower_file) = dentry_open(
+                                       req->lower_dentry, req->lower_mnt,
+                                       (O_RDWR | O_LARGEFILE));
+                               req->flags |= ECRYPTFS_REQ_PROCESSED;
+                       }
+                       wake_up(&req->wait);
+                       mutex_unlock(&req->mux);
+               }
+               mutex_unlock(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.mux);
+       }
+out:
+       return 0;
+}
+
+int ecryptfs_init_kthread(void)
+{
+       int rc = 0;
+
+       mutex_init(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.mux);
+       init_waitqueue_head(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.wait);
+       INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.req_list);
+       ecryptfs_kthread = kthread_run(&ecryptfs_threadfn, NULL,
+                                      "ecryptfs-kthread");
+       if (IS_ERR(ecryptfs_kthread)) {
+               rc = PTR_ERR(ecryptfs_kthread);
+               printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Failed to create kernel thread; rc = [%d]"
+                      "\n", __func__, rc);
+       }
+       return rc;
+}
+
+void ecryptfs_destroy_kthread(void)
+{
+       struct ecryptfs_open_req *req;
+
+       mutex_lock(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.mux);
+       ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.flags |= ECRYPTFS_KTHREAD_ZOMBIE;
+       list_for_each_entry(req, &ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.req_list,
+                           kthread_ctl_list) {
+               mutex_lock(&req->mux);
+               req->flags |= ECRYPTFS_REQ_ZOMBIE;
+               wake_up(&req->wait);
+               mutex_unlock(&req->mux);
+       }
+       mutex_unlock(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.mux);
+       kthread_stop(ecryptfs_kthread);
+       wake_up(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.wait);
+}
+
+/**
+ * ecryptfs_privileged_open
+ * @lower_file: Result of dentry_open by root on lower dentry
+ * @lower_dentry: Lower dentry for file to open
+ * @lower_mnt: Lower vfsmount for file to open
+ *
+ * This function gets a r/w file opened againt the lower dentry.
+ *
+ * Returns zero on success; non-zero otherwise
+ */
+int ecryptfs_privileged_open(struct file **lower_file,
+                            struct dentry *lower_dentry,
+                            struct vfsmount *lower_mnt)
+{
+       struct ecryptfs_open_req *req;
+       int rc = 0;
+
+       /* Corresponding dput() and mntput() are done when the
+        * persistent file is fput() when the eCryptfs inode is
+        * destroyed. */
+       dget(lower_dentry);
+       mntget(lower_mnt);
+       (*lower_file) = dentry_open(lower_dentry, lower_mnt,
+                                   (O_RDWR | O_LARGEFILE));
+       if (!IS_ERR(*lower_file))
+               goto out;
+       req = kmem_cache_alloc(ecryptfs_open_req_cache, GFP_KERNEL);
+       if (!req) {
+               rc = -ENOMEM;
+               goto out;
+       }
+       mutex_init(&req->mux);
+       req->lower_file = lower_file;
+       req->lower_dentry = lower_dentry;
+       req->lower_mnt = lower_mnt;
+       init_waitqueue_head(&req->wait);
+       req->flags = 0;
+       mutex_lock(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.mux);
+       if (ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.flags & ECRYPTFS_KTHREAD_ZOMBIE) {
+               rc = -EIO;
+               mutex_unlock(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.mux);
+               printk(KERN_ERR "%s: We are in the middle of shutting down; "
+                      "aborting privileged request to open lower file\n",
+                       __func__);
+               goto out_free;
+       }
+       list_add_tail(&req->kthread_ctl_list, &ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.req_list);
+       mutex_unlock(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.mux);
+       wake_up(&ecryptfs_kthread_ctl.wait);
+       wait_event(req->wait, (req->flags != 0));
+       mutex_lock(&req->mux);
+       BUG_ON(req->flags == 0);
+       if (req->flags & ECRYPTFS_REQ_DROPPED
+           || req->flags & ECRYPTFS_REQ_ZOMBIE) {
+               rc = -EIO;
+               printk(KERN_WARNING "%s: Privileged open request dropped\n",
+                      __func__);
+               goto out_unlock;
+       }
+       if (IS_ERR(*req->lower_file)) {
+               rc = PTR_ERR(*req->lower_file);
+               dget(lower_dentry);
+               mntget(lower_mnt);
+               (*lower_file) = dentry_open(lower_dentry, lower_mnt,
+                                           (O_RDONLY | O_LARGEFILE));
+               if (IS_ERR(*lower_file)) {
+                       rc = PTR_ERR(*req->lower_file);
+                       (*lower_file) = NULL;
+                       printk(KERN_WARNING "%s: Error attempting privileged "
+                              "open of lower file with either RW or RO "
+                              "perms; rc = [%d]. Giving up.\n",
+                              __func__, rc);
+               }
+       }
+out_unlock:
+       mutex_unlock(&req->mux);
+out_free:
+       kmem_cache_free(ecryptfs_open_req_cache, req);
+out:
+       return rc;
+}
 
                        ecryptfs_dentry_to_lower_mnt(ecryptfs_dentry);
 
                lower_dentry = ecryptfs_dentry_to_lower(ecryptfs_dentry);
-               /* Corresponding dput() and mntput() are done when the
-                * persistent file is fput() when the eCryptfs inode
-                * is destroyed. */
-               dget(lower_dentry);
-               mntget(lower_mnt);
-               inode_info->lower_file = dentry_open(lower_dentry,
-                                                    lower_mnt,
-                                                    (O_RDWR | O_LARGEFILE));
-               if (IS_ERR(inode_info->lower_file)) {
-                       dget(lower_dentry);
-                       mntget(lower_mnt);
-                       inode_info->lower_file = dentry_open(lower_dentry,
-                                                            lower_mnt,
-                                                            (O_RDONLY
-                                                             | O_LARGEFILE));
-               }
-               if (IS_ERR(inode_info->lower_file)) {
+               rc = ecryptfs_privileged_open(&inode_info->lower_file,
+                                                    lower_dentry, lower_mnt);
+               if (rc || IS_ERR(inode_info->lower_file)) {
                        printk(KERN_ERR "Error opening lower persistent file "
-                              "for lower_dentry [0x%p] and lower_mnt [0x%p]\n",
-                              lower_dentry, lower_mnt);
+                              "for lower_dentry [0x%p] and lower_mnt [0x%p]; "
+                              "rc = [%d]\n", lower_dentry, lower_mnt, rc);
                        rc = PTR_ERR(inode_info->lower_file);
                        inode_info->lower_file = NULL;
                }
                .name = "ecryptfs_key_tfm_cache",
                .size = sizeof(struct ecryptfs_key_tfm),
        },
+       {
+               .cache = &ecryptfs_open_req_cache,
+               .name = "ecryptfs_open_req_cache",
+               .size = sizeof(struct ecryptfs_open_req),
+       },
 };
 
 static void ecryptfs_free_kmem_caches(void)
                printk(KERN_ERR "sysfs registration failed\n");
                goto out_unregister_filesystem;
        }
+       rc = ecryptfs_init_kthread();
+       if (rc) {
+               printk(KERN_ERR "%s: kthread initialization failed; "
+                      "rc = [%d]\n", __func__, rc);
+               goto out_do_sysfs_unregistration;
+       }
        rc = ecryptfs_init_messaging(ecryptfs_transport);
        if (rc) {
-               ecryptfs_printk(KERN_ERR, "Failure occured while attempting to "
+               printk(KERN_ERR "Failure occured while attempting to "
                                "initialize the eCryptfs netlink socket\n");
-               goto out_do_sysfs_unregistration;
+               goto out_destroy_kthread;
        }
        rc = ecryptfs_init_crypto();
        if (rc) {
        goto out;
 out_release_messaging:
        ecryptfs_release_messaging(ecryptfs_transport);
+out_destroy_kthread:
+       ecryptfs_destroy_kthread();
 out_do_sysfs_unregistration:
        do_sysfs_unregistration();
 out_unregister_filesystem:
                printk(KERN_ERR "Failure whilst attempting to destroy crypto; "
                       "rc = [%d]\n", rc);
        ecryptfs_release_messaging(ecryptfs_transport);
+       ecryptfs_destroy_kthread();
        do_sysfs_unregistration();
        unregister_filesystem(&ecryptfs_fs_type);
        ecryptfs_free_kmem_caches();