diff --git a/crypto/Kconfig b/crypto/Kconfig
index 160f08e..f53928a 100644
--- a/crypto/Kconfig
+++ b/crypto/Kconfig
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ config CRYPTO_AEAD
 	tristate
 	select CRYPTO_AEAD2
 	select CRYPTO_ALGAPI
+	select CRYPTO_BLKCIPHER
+	select CRYPTO_NULL
 
 config CRYPTO_AEAD2
 	tristate
@@ -227,10 +229,8 @@ config CRYPTO_MCRYPTD
 config CRYPTO_AUTHENC
 	tristate "Authenc support"
 	select CRYPTO_AEAD
-	select CRYPTO_BLKCIPHER
 	select CRYPTO_MANAGER
 	select CRYPTO_HASH
-	select CRYPTO_NULL
 	help
 	  Authenc: Combined mode wrapper for IPsec.
 	  This is required for IPSec.
diff --git a/crypto/aead.c b/crypto/aead.c
index 3f5c5ff..e9291e6 100644
--- a/crypto/aead.c
+++ b/crypto/aead.c
@@ -79,11 +79,31 @@ int crypto_aead_setauthsize(struct crypto_aead *tfm, unsigned int authsize)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(crypto_aead_setauthsize);
 
+int crypto_aead_copy_ad(struct aead_request *req)
+{
+	struct crypto_aead *aead = crypto_aead_reqtfm(req);
+	SKCIPHER_REQUEST_ON_STACK(skreq, aead->null);
+
+	/* No copy operation if src and dst are identical. */
+	if (req->src == req->dst)
+		return 0;
+
+	skcipher_request_set_tfm(skreq, aead->null);
+	skcipher_request_set_callback(skreq, aead_request_flags(req),
+				      NULL, NULL);
+	skcipher_request_set_crypt(skreq, req->src, req->dst, req->assoclen,
+				   NULL);
+
+	return crypto_skcipher_encrypt(skreq);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(crypto_aead_copy_ad);
+
 static void crypto_aead_exit_tfm(struct crypto_tfm *tfm)
 {
 	struct crypto_aead *aead = __crypto_aead_cast(tfm);
 	struct aead_alg *alg = crypto_aead_alg(aead);
 
+	crypto_put_default_null_skcipher2();
 	alg->exit(aead);
 }
 
@@ -91,14 +111,26 @@ static int crypto_aead_init_tfm(struct crypto_tfm *tfm)
 {
 	struct crypto_aead *aead = __crypto_aead_cast(tfm);
 	struct aead_alg *alg = crypto_aead_alg(aead);
+	struct crypto_skcipher *null;
+	int err;
 
 	aead->authsize = alg->maxauthsize;
 
+	null = crypto_get_default_null_skcipher2();
+	err = PTR_ERR(null);
+	if (IS_ERR(null))
+		return err;
+	aead->null = null;
+
 	if (alg->exit)
 		aead->base.exit = crypto_aead_exit_tfm;
 
-	if (alg->init)
-		return alg->init(aead);
+	if (alg->init) {
+		err = alg->init(aead);
+		if (err)
+			crypto_put_default_null_skcipher2();
+		return err;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/crypto/authenc.c b/crypto/authenc.c
index 875470b..a7a304a 100644
--- a/crypto/authenc.c
+++ b/crypto/authenc.c
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #include <crypto/internal/hash.h>
 #include <crypto/internal/skcipher.h>
 #include <crypto/authenc.h>
-#include <crypto/null.h>
 #include <crypto/scatterwalk.h>
 #include <linux/err.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
@@ -33,7 +32,6 @@ struct authenc_instance_ctx {
 struct crypto_authenc_ctx {
 	struct crypto_ahash *auth;
 	struct crypto_skcipher *enc;
-	struct crypto_skcipher *null;
 };
 
 struct authenc_request_ctx {
@@ -180,21 +178,6 @@ static void crypto_authenc_encrypt_done(struct crypto_async_request *req,
 	authenc_request_complete(areq, err);
 }
 
-static int crypto_authenc_copy_assoc(struct aead_request *req)
-{
-	struct crypto_aead *authenc = crypto_aead_reqtfm(req);
-	struct crypto_authenc_ctx *ctx = crypto_aead_ctx(authenc);
-	SKCIPHER_REQUEST_ON_STACK(skreq, ctx->null);
-
-	skcipher_request_set_tfm(skreq, ctx->null);
-	skcipher_request_set_callback(skreq, aead_request_flags(req),
-				      NULL, NULL);
-	skcipher_request_set_crypt(skreq, req->src, req->dst, req->assoclen,
-				   NULL);
-
-	return crypto_skcipher_encrypt(skreq);
-}
-
 static int crypto_authenc_encrypt(struct aead_request *req)
 {
 	struct crypto_aead *authenc = crypto_aead_reqtfm(req);
@@ -212,13 +195,12 @@ static int crypto_authenc_encrypt(struct aead_request *req)
 	src = scatterwalk_ffwd(areq_ctx->src, req->src, req->assoclen);
 	dst = src;
 
-	if (req->src != req->dst) {
-		err = crypto_authenc_copy_assoc(req);
-		if (err)
-			return err;
+	err = crypto_aead_copy_ad(req);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
 
+	if (req->src != req->dst)
 		dst = scatterwalk_ffwd(areq_ctx->dst, req->dst, req->assoclen);
-	}
 
 	skcipher_request_set_tfm(skreq, enc);
 	skcipher_request_set_callback(skreq, aead_request_flags(req),
@@ -317,7 +299,6 @@ static int crypto_authenc_init_tfm(struct crypto_aead *tfm)
 	struct crypto_authenc_ctx *ctx = crypto_aead_ctx(tfm);
 	struct crypto_ahash *auth;
 	struct crypto_skcipher *enc;
-	struct crypto_skcipher *null;
 	int err;
 
 	auth = crypto_spawn_ahash(&ictx->auth);
@@ -329,14 +310,8 @@ static int crypto_authenc_init_tfm(struct crypto_aead *tfm)
 	if (IS_ERR(enc))
 		goto err_free_ahash;
 
-	null = crypto_get_default_null_skcipher2();
-	err = PTR_ERR(null);
-	if (IS_ERR(null))
-		goto err_free_skcipher;
-
 	ctx->auth = auth;
 	ctx->enc = enc;
-	ctx->null = null;
 
 	crypto_aead_set_reqsize(
 		tfm,
@@ -350,8 +325,6 @@ static int crypto_authenc_init_tfm(struct crypto_aead *tfm)
 
 	return 0;
 
-err_free_skcipher:
-	crypto_free_skcipher(enc);
 err_free_ahash:
 	crypto_free_ahash(auth);
 	return err;
@@ -363,7 +336,6 @@ static void crypto_authenc_exit_tfm(struct crypto_aead *tfm)
 
 	crypto_free_ahash(ctx->auth);
 	crypto_free_skcipher(ctx->enc);
-	crypto_put_default_null_skcipher2();
 }
 
 static void crypto_authenc_free(struct aead_instance *inst)
diff --git a/include/crypto/aead.h b/include/crypto/aead.h
index 03b9762..9872f92 100644
--- a/include/crypto/aead.h
+++ b/include/crypto/aead.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <linux/crypto.h>
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <crypto/skcipher.h>
 
 /**
  * DOC: Authenticated Encryption With Associated Data (AEAD) Cipher API
@@ -155,6 +156,7 @@ struct crypto_aead {
 	unsigned int authsize;
 	unsigned int reqsize;
 
+	struct crypto_skcipher *null;
 	struct crypto_tfm base;
 };
 
diff --git a/include/crypto/internal/aead.h b/include/crypto/internal/aead.h
index 6ad8e31..01050c0 100644
--- a/include/crypto/internal/aead.h
+++ b/include/crypto/internal/aead.h
@@ -187,5 +187,17 @@ void crypto_unregister_aeads(struct aead_alg *algs, int count);
 int aead_register_instance(struct crypto_template *tmpl,
 			   struct aead_instance *inst);
 
+/**
+ * crypto_aead_copy_ad - copy the AAD from src to dst buffers
+ * @req: AEAD cipher request
+ *
+ * This function is intended for the encrypt operation only as the ciphertext
+ * should be accompanied by the AAD. The copy operation is performed with
+ * the null cipher that is allocated during initialization of the AEAD TFM.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 upon success, < 0 in case of error
+ */
+int crypto_aead_copy_ad(struct aead_request *req);
+
 #endif	/* _CRYPTO_INTERNAL_AEAD_H */
 
