return -ENOMEM;
 }
 
-/* Stupid prototype - don't bother combining existing entries */
 /*
  * called under devcgroup_mutex
  */
        struct dev_whitelist_item *walk, *tmp;
 
        list_for_each_entry_safe(walk, tmp, &dev_cgroup->whitelist, list) {
-               if (walk->type == DEV_ALL)
-                       goto remove;
                if (walk->type != wh->type)
                        continue;
-               if (walk->major != ~0 && walk->major != wh->major)
+               if (walk->major != wh->major)
                        continue;
-               if (walk->minor != ~0 && walk->minor != wh->minor)
+               if (walk->minor != wh->minor)
                        continue;
 
-remove:
                walk->access &= ~wh->access;
                if (!walk->access) {
                        list_del_rcu(&walk->list);
        INIT_LIST_HEAD(&dev_cgroup->whitelist);
        parent_cgroup = cgroup->parent;
 
-       if (parent_cgroup == NULL) {
-               struct dev_whitelist_item *wh;
-               wh = kmalloc(sizeof(*wh), GFP_KERNEL);
-               if (!wh) {
-                       kfree(dev_cgroup);
-                       return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
-               }
-               wh->minor = wh->major = ~0;
-               wh->type = DEV_ALL;
-               wh->access = ACC_MASK;
+       if (parent_cgroup == NULL)
                dev_cgroup->deny_all = false;
-               list_add(&wh->list, &dev_cgroup->whitelist);
-       } else {
+       else {
                parent_dev_cgroup = cgroup_to_devcgroup(parent_cgroup);
                mutex_lock(&devcgroup_mutex);
                ret = dev_whitelist_copy(&dev_cgroup->whitelist,
        char maj[MAJMINLEN], min[MAJMINLEN], acc[ACCLEN];
 
        rcu_read_lock();
-       list_for_each_entry_rcu(wh, &devcgroup->whitelist, list) {
-               set_access(acc, wh->access);
-               set_majmin(maj, wh->major);
-               set_majmin(min, wh->minor);
-               seq_printf(m, "%c %s:%s %s\n", type_to_char(wh->type),
+       /*
+        * To preserve the compatibility:
+        * - Only show the "all devices" when the default policy is to allow
+        * - List the exceptions in case the default policy is to deny
+        * This way, the file remains as a "whitelist of devices"
+        */
+       if (devcgroup->deny_all == false) {
+               set_access(acc, ACC_MASK);
+               set_majmin(maj, ~0);
+               set_majmin(min, ~0);
+               seq_printf(m, "%c %s:%s %s\n", type_to_char(DEV_ALL),
                           maj, min, acc);
+       } else {
+               list_for_each_entry_rcu(wh, &devcgroup->whitelist, list) {
+                       set_access(acc, wh->access);
+                       set_majmin(maj, wh->major);
+                       set_majmin(min, wh->minor);
+                       seq_printf(m, "%c %s:%s %s\n", type_to_char(wh->type),
+                                  maj, min, acc);
+               }
        }
        rcu_read_unlock();
 
        return 0;
 }
 
-/*
- * may_access_whitelist:
- * does the access granted to dev_cgroup c contain the access
- * requested in whitelist item refwh.
- * return 1 if yes, 0 if no.
- * call with devcgroup_mutex held
+/**
+ * may_access_whitelist - verifies if a new rule is part of what is allowed
+ *                       by a dev cgroup based on the default policy +
+ *                       exceptions. This is used to make sure a child cgroup
+ *                       won't have more privileges than its parent or to
+ *                       verify if a certain access is allowed.
+ * @dev_cgroup: dev cgroup to be tested against
+ * @refwh: new rule
  */
-static int may_access_whitelist(struct dev_cgroup *c,
-                                      struct dev_whitelist_item *refwh)
+static int may_access_whitelist(struct dev_cgroup *dev_cgroup,
+                               struct dev_whitelist_item *refwh)
 {
        struct dev_whitelist_item *whitem;
+       bool match = false;
 
-       list_for_each_entry(whitem, &c->whitelist, list) {
-               if (whitem->type & DEV_ALL)
-                       return 1;
+       list_for_each_entry(whitem, &dev_cgroup->whitelist, list) {
                if ((refwh->type & DEV_BLOCK) && !(whitem->type & DEV_BLOCK))
                        continue;
                if ((refwh->type & DEV_CHAR) && !(whitem->type & DEV_CHAR))
                        continue;
                if (refwh->access & (~whitem->access))
                        continue;
-               return 1;
+               match = true;
+               break;
        }
+
+       /*
+        * In two cases we'll consider this new rule valid:
+        * - the dev cgroup has its default policy to allow + exception list:
+        *   the new rule should *not* match any of the exceptions
+        *   (!deny_all, !match)
+        * - the dev cgroup has its default policy to deny + exception list:
+        *   the new rule *should* match the exceptions
+        *   (deny_all, match)
+        */
+       if (dev_cgroup->deny_all == match)
+               return 1;
        return 0;
 }
 
 
        switch (*b) {
        case 'a':
-               wh.type = DEV_ALL;
-               wh.access = ACC_MASK;
-               wh.major = ~0;
-               wh.minor = ~0;
-               goto handle;
+               switch (filetype) {
+               case DEVCG_ALLOW:
+                       if (!parent_has_perm(devcgroup, &wh))
+                               return -EPERM;
+                       dev_whitelist_clean(devcgroup);
+                       devcgroup->deny_all = false;
+                       break;
+               case DEVCG_DENY:
+                       dev_whitelist_clean(devcgroup);
+                       devcgroup->deny_all = true;
+                       break;
+               default:
+                       return -EINVAL;
+               }
+               return 0;
        case 'b':
                wh.type = DEV_BLOCK;
                break;
                }
        }
 
-handle:
        switch (filetype) {
        case DEVCG_ALLOW:
                if (!parent_has_perm(devcgroup, &wh))
                        return -EPERM;
-               devcgroup->deny_all = false;
+               /*
+                * If the default policy is to allow by default, try to remove
+                * an matching exception instead. And be silent about it: we
+                * don't want to break compatibility
+                */
+               if (devcgroup->deny_all == false) {
+                       dev_whitelist_rm(devcgroup, &wh);
+                       return 0;
+               }
                return dev_whitelist_add(devcgroup, &wh);
        case DEVCG_DENY:
-               dev_whitelist_rm(devcgroup, &wh);
-               devcgroup->deny_all = true;
-               break;
+               /*
+                * If the default policy is to deny by default, try to remove
+                * an matching exception instead. And be silent about it: we
+                * don't want to break compatibility
+                */
+               if (devcgroup->deny_all == true) {
+                       dev_whitelist_rm(devcgroup, &wh);
+                       return 0;
+               }
+               return dev_whitelist_add(devcgroup, &wh);
        default:
                return -EINVAL;
        }
        .broken_hierarchy = true,
 };
 
-int __devcgroup_inode_permission(struct inode *inode, int mask)
+/**
+ * __devcgroup_check_permission - checks if an inode operation is permitted
+ * @dev_cgroup: the dev cgroup to be tested against
+ * @type: device type
+ * @major: device major number
+ * @minor: device minor number
+ * @access: combination of ACC_WRITE, ACC_READ and ACC_MKNOD
+ *
+ * returns 0 on success, -EPERM case the operation is not permitted
+ */
+static int __devcgroup_check_permission(struct dev_cgroup *dev_cgroup,
+                                       short type, u32 major, u32 minor,
+                                       short access)
 {
-       struct dev_cgroup *dev_cgroup;
-       struct dev_whitelist_item *wh;
-
-       rcu_read_lock();
+       struct dev_whitelist_item wh;
+       int rc;
 
-       dev_cgroup = task_devcgroup(current);
+       memset(&wh, 0, sizeof(wh));
+       wh.type = type;
+       wh.major = major;
+       wh.minor = minor;
+       wh.access = access;
 
-       list_for_each_entry_rcu(wh, &dev_cgroup->whitelist, list) {
-               if (wh->type & DEV_ALL)
-                       goto found;
-               if ((wh->type & DEV_BLOCK) && !S_ISBLK(inode->i_mode))
-                       continue;
-               if ((wh->type & DEV_CHAR) && !S_ISCHR(inode->i_mode))
-                       continue;
-               if (wh->major != ~0 && wh->major != imajor(inode))
-                       continue;
-               if (wh->minor != ~0 && wh->minor != iminor(inode))
-                       continue;
+       rcu_read_lock();
+       rc = may_access_whitelist(dev_cgroup, &wh);
+       rcu_read_unlock();
 
-               if ((mask & MAY_WRITE) && !(wh->access & ACC_WRITE))
-                       continue;
-               if ((mask & MAY_READ) && !(wh->access & ACC_READ))
-                       continue;
-found:
-               rcu_read_unlock();
-               return 0;
-       }
+       if (!rc)
+               return -EPERM;
 
-       rcu_read_unlock();
+       return 0;
+}
 
-       return -EPERM;
+int __devcgroup_inode_permission(struct inode *inode, int mask)
+{
+       struct dev_cgroup *dev_cgroup = task_devcgroup(current);
+       short type, access = 0;
+
+       if (S_ISBLK(inode->i_mode))
+               type = DEV_BLOCK;
+       if (S_ISCHR(inode->i_mode))
+               type = DEV_CHAR;
+       if (mask & MAY_WRITE)
+               access |= ACC_WRITE;
+       if (mask & MAY_READ)
+               access |= ACC_READ;
+
+       return __devcgroup_check_permission(dev_cgroup, type, imajor(inode),
+                                           iminor(inode), access);
 }
 
 int devcgroup_inode_mknod(int mode, dev_t dev)
 {
-       struct dev_cgroup *dev_cgroup;
-       struct dev_whitelist_item *wh;
+       struct dev_cgroup *dev_cgroup = task_devcgroup(current);
+       short type;
 
        if (!S_ISBLK(mode) && !S_ISCHR(mode))
                return 0;
 
-       rcu_read_lock();
-
-       dev_cgroup = task_devcgroup(current);
-
-       list_for_each_entry_rcu(wh, &dev_cgroup->whitelist, list) {
-               if (wh->type & DEV_ALL)
-                       goto found;
-               if ((wh->type & DEV_BLOCK) && !S_ISBLK(mode))
-                       continue;
-               if ((wh->type & DEV_CHAR) && !S_ISCHR(mode))
-                       continue;
-               if (wh->major != ~0 && wh->major != MAJOR(dev))
-                       continue;
-               if (wh->minor != ~0 && wh->minor != MINOR(dev))
-                       continue;
-
-               if (!(wh->access & ACC_MKNOD))
-                       continue;
-found:
-               rcu_read_unlock();
-               return 0;
-       }
+       if (S_ISBLK(mode))
+               type = DEV_BLOCK;
+       else
+               type = DEV_CHAR;
 
-       rcu_read_unlock();
+       return __devcgroup_check_permission(dev_cgroup, type, MAJOR(dev),
+                                           MINOR(dev), ACC_MKNOD);
 
-       return -EPERM;
 }