diff --git a/include/linux/bpf.h b/include/linux/bpf.h
index e267db260cb7..a6d1982e8118 100644
--- a/include/linux/bpf.h
+++ b/include/linux/bpf.h
@@ -364,7 +364,10 @@ enum bpf_type_flag {
 	 */
 	MEM_PERCPU		= BIT(4 + BPF_BASE_TYPE_BITS),
 
-	__BPF_TYPE_LAST_FLAG	= MEM_PERCPU,
+	/* Indicates that the pointer argument will be released. */
+	PTR_RELEASE		= BIT(5 + BPF_BASE_TYPE_BITS),
+
+	__BPF_TYPE_LAST_FLAG	= PTR_RELEASE,
 };
 
 /* Max number of base types. */
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/ringbuf.c b/kernel/bpf/ringbuf.c
index 710ba9de12ce..a22c21c0a7ef 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/ringbuf.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/ringbuf.c
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ BPF_CALL_2(bpf_ringbuf_submit, void *, sample, u64, flags)
 const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_ringbuf_submit_proto = {
 	.func		= bpf_ringbuf_submit,
 	.ret_type	= RET_VOID,
-	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_ALLOC_MEM,
+	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_ALLOC_MEM | PTR_RELEASE,
 	.arg2_type	= ARG_ANYTHING,
 };
 
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ BPF_CALL_2(bpf_ringbuf_discard, void *, sample, u64, flags)
 const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_ringbuf_discard_proto = {
 	.func		= bpf_ringbuf_discard,
 	.ret_type	= RET_VOID,
-	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_ALLOC_MEM,
+	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_ALLOC_MEM | PTR_RELEASE,
 	.arg2_type	= ARG_ANYTHING,
 };
 
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 01d45c5010f9..6cc08526e049 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ struct bpf_call_arg_meta {
 	struct bpf_map *map_ptr;
 	bool raw_mode;
 	bool pkt_access;
+	u8 release_regno;
 	int regno;
 	int access_size;
 	int mem_size;
@@ -5300,6 +5301,11 @@ static bool arg_type_is_int_ptr(enum bpf_arg_type type)
 	       type == ARG_PTR_TO_LONG;
 }
 
+static bool arg_type_is_release_ptr(enum bpf_arg_type type)
+{
+	return type & PTR_RELEASE;
+}
+
 static int int_ptr_type_to_size(enum bpf_arg_type type)
 {
 	if (type == ARG_PTR_TO_INT)
@@ -5532,7 +5538,7 @@ int check_func_arg_reg_off(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
 		/* Some of the argument types nevertheless require a
 		 * zero register offset.
 		 */
-		if (arg_type != ARG_PTR_TO_ALLOC_MEM)
+		if (base_type(arg_type) != ARG_PTR_TO_ALLOC_MEM)
 			return 0;
 		break;
 	/* All the rest must be rejected, except PTR_TO_BTF_ID which allows
@@ -6124,12 +6130,31 @@ static bool check_btf_id_ok(const struct bpf_func_proto *fn)
 	return true;
 }
 
-static int check_func_proto(const struct bpf_func_proto *fn, int func_id)
+static bool check_release_regno(const struct bpf_func_proto *fn, int func_id,
+				struct bpf_call_arg_meta *meta)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(fn->arg_type); i++) {
+		if (arg_type_is_release_ptr(fn->arg_type[i])) {
+			if (!is_release_function(func_id))
+				return false;
+			if (meta->release_regno)
+				return false;
+			meta->release_regno = i + 1;
+		}
+	}
+	return !is_release_function(func_id) || meta->release_regno;
+}
+
+static int check_func_proto(const struct bpf_func_proto *fn, int func_id,
+			    struct bpf_call_arg_meta *meta)
 {
 	return check_raw_mode_ok(fn) &&
 	       check_arg_pair_ok(fn) &&
 	       check_btf_id_ok(fn) &&
-	       check_refcount_ok(fn, func_id) ? 0 : -EINVAL;
+	       check_refcount_ok(fn, func_id) &&
+	       check_release_regno(fn, func_id, meta) ? 0 : -EINVAL;
 }
 
 /* Packet data might have moved, any old PTR_TO_PACKET[_META,_END]
@@ -6808,7 +6833,7 @@ static int check_helper_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn
 	memset(&meta, 0, sizeof(meta));
 	meta.pkt_access = fn->pkt_access;
 
-	err = check_func_proto(fn, func_id);
+	err = check_func_proto(fn, func_id, &meta);
 	if (err) {
 		verbose(env, "kernel subsystem misconfigured func %s#%d\n",
 			func_id_name(func_id), func_id);
@@ -6841,8 +6866,17 @@ static int check_helper_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn
 			return err;
 	}
 
+	regs = cur_regs(env);
+
 	if (is_release_function(func_id)) {
-		err = release_reference(env, meta.ref_obj_id);
+		err = -EINVAL;
+		if (meta.ref_obj_id)
+			err = release_reference(env, meta.ref_obj_id);
+		/* meta.ref_obj_id can only be 0 if register that is meant to be
+		 * released is NULL, which must be > R0.
+		 */
+		else if (meta.release_regno && register_is_null(&regs[meta.release_regno]))
+			err = 0;
 		if (err) {
 			verbose(env, "func %s#%d reference has not been acquired before\n",
 				func_id_name(func_id), func_id);
@@ -6850,8 +6884,6 @@ static int check_helper_call(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_insn *insn
 		}
 	}
 
-	regs = cur_regs(env);
-
 	switch (func_id) {
 	case BPF_FUNC_tail_call:
 		err = check_reference_leak(env);
diff --git a/net/core/filter.c b/net/core/filter.c
index 143f442a9505..8eb01a997476 100644
--- a/net/core/filter.c
+++ b/net/core/filter.c
@@ -6621,7 +6621,7 @@ static const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_sk_release_proto = {
 	.func		= bpf_sk_release,
 	.gpl_only	= false,
 	.ret_type	= RET_INTEGER,
-	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID_SOCK_COMMON,
+	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID_SOCK_COMMON | PTR_RELEASE,
 };
 
 BPF_CALL_5(bpf_xdp_sk_lookup_udp, struct xdp_buff *, ctx,
