diff --git a/fs/internal.h b/fs/internal.h
index 9676fe11c093..60cdbcd2887b 100644
--- a/fs/internal.h
+++ b/fs/internal.h
@@ -71,8 +71,10 @@ extern void __init mnt_init(void);
 
 extern int __mnt_want_write(struct vfsmount *);
 extern int __mnt_want_write_file(struct file *);
+extern int mnt_want_write_file_path(struct file *);
 extern void __mnt_drop_write(struct vfsmount *);
 extern void __mnt_drop_write_file(struct file *);
+extern void mnt_drop_write_file_path(struct file *);
 
 /*
  * fs_struct.c
diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index f8893dc6a989..df0f7521979a 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -431,13 +431,18 @@ int __mnt_want_write_file(struct file *file)
 }
 
 /**
- * mnt_want_write_file - get write access to a file's mount
+ * mnt_want_write_file_path - get write access to a file's mount
  * @file: the file who's mount on which to take a write
  *
  * This is like mnt_want_write, but it takes a file and can
  * do some optimisations if the file is open for write already
+ *
+ * Called by the vfs for cases when we have an open file at hand, but will do an
+ * inode operation on it (important distinction for files opened on overlayfs,
+ * since the file operations will come from the real underlying file, while
+ * inode operations come from the overlay).
  */
-int mnt_want_write_file(struct file *file)
+int mnt_want_write_file_path(struct file *file)
 {
 	int ret;
 
@@ -447,6 +452,53 @@ int mnt_want_write_file(struct file *file)
 		sb_end_write(file->f_path.mnt->mnt_sb);
 	return ret;
 }
+
+static inline int may_write_real(struct file *file)
+{
+	struct dentry *dentry = file->f_path.dentry;
+	struct dentry *upperdentry;
+
+	/* Writable file? */
+	if (file->f_mode & FMODE_WRITER)
+		return 0;
+
+	/* Not overlayfs? */
+	if (likely(!(dentry->d_flags & DCACHE_OP_REAL)))
+		return 0;
+
+	/* File refers to upper, writable layer? */
+	upperdentry = d_real(dentry, NULL, 0, D_REAL_UPPER);
+	if (upperdentry && file_inode(file) == d_inode(upperdentry))
+		return 0;
+
+	/* Lower layer: can't write to real file, sorry... */
+	return -EPERM;
+}
+
+/**
+ * mnt_want_write_file - get write access to a file's mount
+ * @file: the file who's mount on which to take a write
+ *
+ * This is like mnt_want_write, but it takes a file and can
+ * do some optimisations if the file is open for write already
+ *
+ * Mostly called by filesystems from their ioctl operation before performing
+ * modification.  On overlayfs this needs to check if the file is on a read-only
+ * lower layer and deny access in that case.
+ */
+int mnt_want_write_file(struct file *file)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = may_write_real(file);
+	if (!ret) {
+		sb_start_write(file_inode(file)->i_sb);
+		ret = __mnt_want_write_file(file);
+		if (ret)
+			sb_end_write(file_inode(file)->i_sb);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(mnt_want_write_file);
 
 /**
@@ -484,10 +536,16 @@ void __mnt_drop_write_file(struct file *file)
 	__mnt_drop_write(file->f_path.mnt);
 }
 
-void mnt_drop_write_file(struct file *file)
+void mnt_drop_write_file_path(struct file *file)
 {
 	mnt_drop_write(file->f_path.mnt);
 }
+
+void mnt_drop_write_file(struct file *file)
+{
+	__mnt_drop_write(file->f_path.mnt);
+	sb_end_write(file_inode(file)->i_sb);
+}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(mnt_drop_write_file);
 
 static int mnt_make_readonly(struct mount *mnt)
diff --git a/fs/open.c b/fs/open.c
index 6d5c9a9b8c8d..7ea118471dce 100644
--- a/fs/open.c
+++ b/fs/open.c
@@ -670,12 +670,12 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE3(fchown, unsigned int, fd, uid_t, user, gid_t, group)
 	if (!f.file)
 		goto out;
 
-	error = mnt_want_write_file(f.file);
+	error = mnt_want_write_file_path(f.file);
 	if (error)
 		goto out_fput;
 	audit_file(f.file);
 	error = chown_common(&f.file->f_path, user, group);
-	mnt_drop_write_file(f.file);
+	mnt_drop_write_file_path(f.file);
 out_fput:
 	fdput(f);
 out:
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/super.c b/fs/overlayfs/super.c
index 059ee2f19361..0d53373b2ffc 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/super.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/super.c
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ static struct dentry *ovl_d_real(struct dentry *dentry,
 	if (flags & D_REAL_ALL)
 		return ovl_dentry_real(dentry);
 
+	if (flags & D_REAL_UPPER)
+		return ovl_dentry_upper(dentry);
+
 	if (!d_is_reg(dentry)) {
 		if (!inode || inode == d_inode(dentry))
 			return dentry;
diff --git a/fs/xattr.c b/fs/xattr.c
index 464c94bf65f9..d7c2cf7817bb 100644
--- a/fs/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/xattr.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <linux/posix_acl_xattr.h>
 
 #include <linux/uaccess.h>
+#include "internal.h"
 
 static const char *
 strcmp_prefix(const char *a, const char *a_prefix)
@@ -496,10 +497,10 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE5(fsetxattr, int, fd, const char __user *, name,
 	if (!f.file)
 		return error;
 	audit_file(f.file);
-	error = mnt_want_write_file(f.file);
+	error = mnt_want_write_file_path(f.file);
 	if (!error) {
 		error = setxattr(f.file->f_path.dentry, name, value, size, flags);
-		mnt_drop_write_file(f.file);
+		mnt_drop_write_file_path(f.file);
 	}
 	fdput(f);
 	return error;
@@ -728,10 +729,10 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE2(fremovexattr, int, fd, const char __user *, name)
 	if (!f.file)
 		return error;
 	audit_file(f.file);
-	error = mnt_want_write_file(f.file);
+	error = mnt_want_write_file_path(f.file);
 	if (!error) {
 		error = removexattr(f.file->f_path.dentry, name);
-		mnt_drop_write_file(f.file);
+		mnt_drop_write_file_path(f.file);
 	}
 	fdput(f);
 	return error;
diff --git a/include/linux/dcache.h b/include/linux/dcache.h
index 9594ef3382ff..bf5b7d57414b 100644
--- a/include/linux/dcache.h
+++ b/include/linux/dcache.h
@@ -564,6 +564,7 @@ static inline struct dentry *d_backing_dentry(struct dentry *upper)
 
 /* d_real() flags */
 #define D_REAL_ALL	0x1	/* return real dentry for all file types */
+#define D_REAL_UPPER	0x2	/* return upper dentry or NULL if non-upper */
 
 /**
  * d_real - Return the real dentry
