nd->depth = 0;
        if (flags & LOOKUP_ROOT) {
                struct inode *inode = nd->root.dentry->d_inode;
-               if (!inode->i_op->lookup)
-                       return -ENOTDIR;
-               retval = inode_permission(inode, MAY_EXEC);
-               if (retval)
-                       return retval;
+               if (*name) {
+                       if (!inode->i_op->lookup)
+                               return -ENOTDIR;
+                       retval = inode_permission(inode, MAY_EXEC);
+                       if (retval)
+                               return retval;
+               }
                nd->path = nd->root;
                nd->inode = inode;
                if (flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
        return error;
 }
 
-int may_open(struct path *path, int acc_mode, int flag)
+static int may_open(struct path *path, int acc_mode, int flag)
 {
        struct dentry *dentry = path->dentry;
        struct inode *inode = dentry->d_inode;
 }
 
 static struct file *path_openat(int dfd, const char *pathname,
-               const struct open_flags *op, int flags)
+               struct nameidata *nd, const struct open_flags *op, int flags)
 {
        struct file *base = NULL;
        struct file *filp;
-       struct nameidata nd;
        struct path path;
        int count = 0;
        int error;
                return ERR_PTR(-ENFILE);
 
        filp->f_flags = op->open_flag;
-       nd.intent.open.file = filp;
-       nd.intent.open.flags = open_to_namei_flags(op->open_flag);
-       nd.intent.open.create_mode = op->mode;
+       nd->intent.open.file = filp;
+       nd->intent.open.flags = open_to_namei_flags(op->open_flag);
+       nd->intent.open.create_mode = op->mode;
 
-       error = path_init(dfd, pathname, flags | LOOKUP_PARENT, &nd, &base);
+       error = path_init(dfd, pathname, flags | LOOKUP_PARENT, nd, &base);
        if (unlikely(error))
                goto out_filp;
 
        current->total_link_count = 0;
-       error = link_path_walk(pathname, &nd);
+       error = link_path_walk(pathname, nd);
        if (unlikely(error))
                goto out_filp;
 
-       filp = do_last(&nd, &path, op, pathname);
+       filp = do_last(nd, &path, op, pathname);
        while (unlikely(!filp)) { /* trailing symlink */
                struct path link = path;
                struct inode *linki = link.dentry->d_inode;
                void *cookie;
-               if (!(nd.flags & LOOKUP_FOLLOW) || count++ == 32) {
-                       path_put_conditional(&path, &nd);
-                       path_put(&nd.path);
+               if (!(nd->flags & LOOKUP_FOLLOW) || count++ == 32) {
+                       path_put_conditional(&path, nd);
+                       path_put(&nd->path);
                        filp = ERR_PTR(-ELOOP);
                        break;
                }
                 * have to putname() it when we are done. Procfs-like symlinks
                 * just set LAST_BIND.
                 */
-               nd.flags |= LOOKUP_PARENT;
-               nd.flags &= ~(LOOKUP_OPEN|LOOKUP_CREATE|LOOKUP_EXCL);
-               error = __do_follow_link(&link, &nd, &cookie);
+               nd->flags |= LOOKUP_PARENT;
+               nd->flags &= ~(LOOKUP_OPEN|LOOKUP_CREATE|LOOKUP_EXCL);
+               error = __do_follow_link(&link, nd, &cookie);
                if (unlikely(error))
                        filp = ERR_PTR(error);
                else
-                       filp = do_last(&nd, &path, op, pathname);
+                       filp = do_last(nd, &path, op, pathname);
                if (!IS_ERR(cookie) && linki->i_op->put_link)
-                       linki->i_op->put_link(link.dentry, &nd, cookie);
+                       linki->i_op->put_link(link.dentry, nd, cookie);
                path_put(&link);
        }
 out:
-       if (nd.root.mnt && !(nd.flags & LOOKUP_ROOT))
-               path_put(&nd.root);
+       if (nd->root.mnt && !(nd->flags & LOOKUP_ROOT))
+               path_put(&nd->root);
        if (base)
                fput(base);
-       release_open_intent(&nd);
+       release_open_intent(nd);
        return filp;
 
 out_filp:
 struct file *do_filp_open(int dfd, const char *pathname,
                const struct open_flags *op, int flags)
 {
+       struct nameidata nd;
        struct file *filp;
 
-       filp = path_openat(dfd, pathname, op, flags | LOOKUP_RCU);
+       filp = path_openat(dfd, pathname, &nd, op, flags | LOOKUP_RCU);
        if (unlikely(filp == ERR_PTR(-ECHILD)))
-               filp = path_openat(dfd, pathname, op, flags);
+               filp = path_openat(dfd, pathname, &nd, op, flags);
        if (unlikely(filp == ERR_PTR(-ESTALE)))
-               filp = path_openat(dfd, pathname, op, flags | LOOKUP_REVAL);
+               filp = path_openat(dfd, pathname, &nd, op, flags | LOOKUP_REVAL);
        return filp;
 }
 
+struct file *do_file_open_root(struct dentry *dentry, struct vfsmount *mnt,
+               const char *name, const struct open_flags *op, int flags)
+{
+       struct nameidata nd;
+       struct file *file;
+
+       nd.root.mnt = mnt;
+       nd.root.dentry = dentry;
+
+       flags |= LOOKUP_ROOT;
+
+       if (dentry->d_inode->i_op->follow_link)
+               return ERR_PTR(-ELOOP);
+
+       file = path_openat(-1, name, &nd, op, flags | LOOKUP_RCU);
+       if (unlikely(file == ERR_PTR(-ECHILD)))
+               file = path_openat(-1, name, &nd, op, flags);
+       if (unlikely(file == ERR_PTR(-ESTALE)))
+               file = path_openat(-1, name, &nd, op, flags | LOOKUP_REVAL);
+       return file;
+}
+
 /**
  * lookup_create - lookup a dentry, creating it if it doesn't exist
  * @nd: nameidata info
 
        void __user *oldval, size_t oldlen, void __user *newval, size_t newlen)
 {
        const struct bin_table *table = NULL;
-       struct nameidata nd;
        struct vfsmount *mnt;
        struct file *file;
        ssize_t result;
        char *pathname;
        int flags;
-       int acc_mode;
 
        pathname = sysctl_getname(name, nlen, &table);
        result = PTR_ERR(pathname);
        /* How should the sysctl be accessed? */
        if (oldval && oldlen && newval && newlen) {
                flags = O_RDWR;
-               acc_mode = MAY_READ | MAY_WRITE;
        } else if (newval && newlen) {
                flags = O_WRONLY;
-               acc_mode = MAY_WRITE;
        } else if (oldval && oldlen) {
                flags = O_RDONLY;
-               acc_mode = MAY_READ;
        } else {
                result = 0;
                goto out_putname;
        }
 
        mnt = current->nsproxy->pid_ns->proc_mnt;
-       result = vfs_path_lookup(mnt->mnt_root, mnt, pathname, 0, &nd);
-       if (result)
-               goto out_putname;
-
-       result = may_open(&nd.path, acc_mode, flags);
-       if (result)
-               goto out_putpath;
-
-       file = dentry_open(nd.path.dentry, nd.path.mnt, flags, current_cred());
+       file = file_open_root(mnt->mnt_root, mnt, pathname, flags);
        result = PTR_ERR(file);
        if (IS_ERR(file))
                goto out_putname;
        putname(pathname);
 out:
        return result;
-
-out_putpath:
-       path_put(&nd.path);
-       goto out_putname;
 }