#define MAX_CGROUP_TYPE_NAMELEN 32
        const char *name;
 
-       struct cgroupfs_root *root;
+       /*
+        * Protects sibling/children links of cgroups in this
+        * hierarchy, plus protects which hierarchy (or none) the
+        * subsystem is a part of (i.e. root/sibling).  To avoid
+        * potential deadlocks, the following operations should not be
+        * undertaken while holding any hierarchy_mutex:
+        *
+        * - allocating memory
+        * - initiating hotplug events
+        */
+       struct mutex hierarchy_mutex;
 
+       /*
+        * Link to parent, and list entry in parent's children.
+        * Protected by this->hierarchy_mutex and cgroup_lock()
+        */
+       struct cgroupfs_root *root;
        struct list_head sibling;
 };
 
 
                        BUG_ON(cgrp->subsys[i]);
                        BUG_ON(!dummytop->subsys[i]);
                        BUG_ON(dummytop->subsys[i]->cgroup != dummytop);
+                       mutex_lock(&ss->hierarchy_mutex);
                        cgrp->subsys[i] = dummytop->subsys[i];
                        cgrp->subsys[i]->cgroup = cgrp;
                        list_move(&ss->sibling, &root->subsys_list);
                        ss->root = root;
                        if (ss->bind)
                                ss->bind(ss, cgrp);
-
+                       mutex_unlock(&ss->hierarchy_mutex);
                } else if (bit & removed_bits) {
                        /* We're removing this subsystem */
                        BUG_ON(cgrp->subsys[i] != dummytop->subsys[i]);
                        BUG_ON(cgrp->subsys[i]->cgroup != cgrp);
+                       mutex_lock(&ss->hierarchy_mutex);
                        if (ss->bind)
                                ss->bind(ss, dummytop);
                        dummytop->subsys[i]->cgroup = dummytop;
                        cgrp->subsys[i] = NULL;
                        subsys[i]->root = &rootnode;
                        list_move(&ss->sibling, &rootnode.subsys_list);
+                       mutex_unlock(&ss->hierarchy_mutex);
                } else if (bit & final_bits) {
                        /* Subsystem state should already exist */
                        BUG_ON(!cgrp->subsys[i]);
        cgrp->subsys[ss->subsys_id] = css;
 }
 
+static void cgroup_lock_hierarchy(struct cgroupfs_root *root)
+{
+       /* We need to take each hierarchy_mutex in a consistent order */
+       int i;
+
+       for (i = 0; i < CGROUP_SUBSYS_COUNT; i++) {
+               struct cgroup_subsys *ss = subsys[i];
+               if (ss->root == root)
+                       mutex_lock_nested(&ss->hierarchy_mutex, i);
+       }
+}
+
+static void cgroup_unlock_hierarchy(struct cgroupfs_root *root)
+{
+       int i;
+
+       for (i = 0; i < CGROUP_SUBSYS_COUNT; i++) {
+               struct cgroup_subsys *ss = subsys[i];
+               if (ss->root == root)
+                       mutex_unlock(&ss->hierarchy_mutex);
+       }
+}
+
 /*
  * cgroup_create - create a cgroup
  * @parent: cgroup that will be parent of the new cgroup
                init_cgroup_css(css, ss, cgrp);
        }
 
+       cgroup_lock_hierarchy(root);
        list_add(&cgrp->sibling, &cgrp->parent->children);
+       cgroup_unlock_hierarchy(root);
        root->number_of_cgroups++;
 
        err = cgroup_create_dir(cgrp, dentry, mode);
        if (!list_empty(&cgrp->release_list))
                list_del(&cgrp->release_list);
        spin_unlock(&release_list_lock);
-       /* delete my sibling from parent->children */
+
+       cgroup_lock_hierarchy(cgrp->root);
+       /* delete this cgroup from parent->children */
        list_del(&cgrp->sibling);
+       cgroup_unlock_hierarchy(cgrp->root);
+
        spin_lock(&cgrp->dentry->d_lock);
        d = dget(cgrp->dentry);
        spin_unlock(&d->d_lock);
         * need to invoke fork callbacks here. */
        BUG_ON(!list_empty(&init_task.tasks));
 
+       mutex_init(&ss->hierarchy_mutex);
        ss->active = 1;
 }