int smb3_validate_negotiate(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_tcon *tcon)
 {
-       int rc = 0;
-       struct validate_negotiate_info_req vneg_inbuf;
+       int rc;
+       struct validate_negotiate_info_req *pneg_inbuf;
        struct validate_negotiate_info_rsp *pneg_rsp = NULL;
        u32 rsplen;
        u32 inbuflen; /* max of 4 dialects */
        if (tcon->ses->session_flags & SMB2_SESSION_FLAG_IS_NULL)
                cifs_dbg(VFS, "Unexpected null user (anonymous) auth flag sent by server\n");
 
-       vneg_inbuf.Capabilities =
+       pneg_inbuf = kmalloc(sizeof(*pneg_inbuf), GFP_NOFS);
+       if (!pneg_inbuf)
+               return -ENOMEM;
+
+       pneg_inbuf->Capabilities =
                        cpu_to_le32(tcon->ses->server->vals->req_capabilities);
-       memcpy(vneg_inbuf.Guid, tcon->ses->server->client_guid,
+       memcpy(pneg_inbuf->Guid, tcon->ses->server->client_guid,
                                        SMB2_CLIENT_GUID_SIZE);
 
        if (tcon->ses->sign)
-               vneg_inbuf.SecurityMode =
+               pneg_inbuf->SecurityMode =
                        cpu_to_le16(SMB2_NEGOTIATE_SIGNING_REQUIRED);
        else if (global_secflags & CIFSSEC_MAY_SIGN)
-               vneg_inbuf.SecurityMode =
+               pneg_inbuf->SecurityMode =
                        cpu_to_le16(SMB2_NEGOTIATE_SIGNING_ENABLED);
        else
-               vneg_inbuf.SecurityMode = 0;
+               pneg_inbuf->SecurityMode = 0;
 
 
        if (strcmp(tcon->ses->server->vals->version_string,
                SMB3ANY_VERSION_STRING) == 0) {
-               vneg_inbuf.Dialects[0] = cpu_to_le16(SMB30_PROT_ID);
-               vneg_inbuf.Dialects[1] = cpu_to_le16(SMB302_PROT_ID);
-               vneg_inbuf.DialectCount = cpu_to_le16(2);
+               pneg_inbuf->Dialects[0] = cpu_to_le16(SMB30_PROT_ID);
+               pneg_inbuf->Dialects[1] = cpu_to_le16(SMB302_PROT_ID);
+               pneg_inbuf->DialectCount = cpu_to_le16(2);
                /* structure is big enough for 3 dialects, sending only 2 */
-               inbuflen = sizeof(struct validate_negotiate_info_req) - 2;
+               inbuflen = sizeof(*pneg_inbuf) -
+                               sizeof(pneg_inbuf->Dialects[0]);
        } else if (strcmp(tcon->ses->server->vals->version_string,
                SMBDEFAULT_VERSION_STRING) == 0) {
-               vneg_inbuf.Dialects[0] = cpu_to_le16(SMB21_PROT_ID);
-               vneg_inbuf.Dialects[1] = cpu_to_le16(SMB30_PROT_ID);
-               vneg_inbuf.Dialects[2] = cpu_to_le16(SMB302_PROT_ID);
-               vneg_inbuf.DialectCount = cpu_to_le16(3);
+               pneg_inbuf->Dialects[0] = cpu_to_le16(SMB21_PROT_ID);
+               pneg_inbuf->Dialects[1] = cpu_to_le16(SMB30_PROT_ID);
+               pneg_inbuf->Dialects[2] = cpu_to_le16(SMB302_PROT_ID);
+               pneg_inbuf->DialectCount = cpu_to_le16(3);
                /* structure is big enough for 3 dialects */
-               inbuflen = sizeof(struct validate_negotiate_info_req);
+               inbuflen = sizeof(*pneg_inbuf);
        } else {
                /* otherwise specific dialect was requested */
-               vneg_inbuf.Dialects[0] =
+               pneg_inbuf->Dialects[0] =
                        cpu_to_le16(tcon->ses->server->vals->protocol_id);
-               vneg_inbuf.DialectCount = cpu_to_le16(1);
+               pneg_inbuf->DialectCount = cpu_to_le16(1);
                /* structure is big enough for 3 dialects, sending only 1 */
-               inbuflen = sizeof(struct validate_negotiate_info_req) - 4;
+               inbuflen = sizeof(*pneg_inbuf) -
+                               sizeof(pneg_inbuf->Dialects[0]) * 2;
        }
 
        rc = SMB2_ioctl(xid, tcon, NO_FILE_ID, NO_FILE_ID,
                FSCTL_VALIDATE_NEGOTIATE_INFO, true /* is_fsctl */,
-               (char *)&vneg_inbuf, sizeof(struct validate_negotiate_info_req),
-               (char **)&pneg_rsp, &rsplen);
+               (char *)pneg_inbuf, inbuflen, (char **)&pneg_rsp, &rsplen);
 
        if (rc != 0) {
                cifs_dbg(VFS, "validate protocol negotiate failed: %d\n", rc);
-               return -EIO;
+               rc = -EIO;
+               goto out_free_inbuf;
        }
 
-       if (rsplen != sizeof(struct validate_negotiate_info_rsp)) {
+       rc = -EIO;
+       if (rsplen != sizeof(*pneg_rsp)) {
                cifs_dbg(VFS, "invalid protocol negotiate response size: %d\n",
                         rsplen);
 
                /* relax check since Mac returns max bufsize allowed on ioctl */
-               if ((rsplen > CIFSMaxBufSize)
-                    || (rsplen < sizeof(struct validate_negotiate_info_rsp)))
-                       goto err_rsp_free;
+               if (rsplen > CIFSMaxBufSize || rsplen < sizeof(*pneg_rsp))
+                       goto out_free_rsp;
        }
 
        /* check validate negotiate info response matches what we got earlier */
                goto vneg_out;
 
        /* validate negotiate successful */
+       rc = 0;
        cifs_dbg(FYI, "validate negotiate info successful\n");
-       kfree(pneg_rsp);
-       return 0;
+       goto out_free_rsp;
 
 vneg_out:
        cifs_dbg(VFS, "protocol revalidation - security settings mismatch\n");
-err_rsp_free:
+out_free_rsp:
        kfree(pneg_rsp);
-       return -EIO;
+out_free_inbuf:
+       kfree(pneg_inbuf);
+       return rc;
 }
 
 enum securityEnum