diff --git a/fs/open.c b/fs/open.c
index a1450086e92..a99ad09c319 100644
--- a/fs/open.c
+++ b/fs/open.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <linux/namei.h>
 #include <linux/backing-dev.h>
 #include <linux/capability.h>
+#include <linux/securebits.h>
 #include <linux/security.h>
 #include <linux/mount.h>
 #include <linux/vfs.h>
@@ -425,7 +426,7 @@ asmlinkage long sys_faccessat(int dfd, const char __user *filename, int mode)
 {
 	struct nameidata nd;
 	int old_fsuid, old_fsgid;
-	kernel_cap_t old_cap;
+	kernel_cap_t uninitialized_var(old_cap);  /* !SECURE_NO_SETUID_FIXUP */
 	int res;
 
 	if (mode & ~S_IRWXO)	/* where's F_OK, X_OK, W_OK, R_OK? */
@@ -433,23 +434,27 @@ asmlinkage long sys_faccessat(int dfd, const char __user *filename, int mode)
 
 	old_fsuid = current->fsuid;
 	old_fsgid = current->fsgid;
-	old_cap = current->cap_effective;
 
 	current->fsuid = current->uid;
 	current->fsgid = current->gid;
 
-	/*
-	 * Clear the capabilities if we switch to a non-root user
-	 *
-	 * FIXME: There is a race here against sys_capset.  The
-	 * capabilities can change yet we will restore the old
-	 * value below.  We should hold task_capabilities_lock,
-	 * but we cannot because user_path_walk can sleep.
-	 */
-	if (current->uid)
-		cap_clear(current->cap_effective);
-	else
-		current->cap_effective = current->cap_permitted;
+	if (!issecure(SECURE_NO_SETUID_FIXUP)) {
+		/*
+		 * Clear the capabilities if we switch to a non-root user
+		 */
+#ifndef CONFIG_SECURITY_FILE_CAPABILITIES
+		/*
+		 * FIXME: There is a race here against sys_capset.  The
+		 * capabilities can change yet we will restore the old
+		 * value below.  We should hold task_capabilities_lock,
+		 * but we cannot because user_path_walk can sleep.
+		 */
+#endif /* ndef CONFIG_SECURITY_FILE_CAPABILITIES */
+		if (current->uid)
+			old_cap = cap_set_effective(__cap_empty_set);
+		else
+			old_cap = cap_set_effective(current->cap_permitted);
+	}
 
 	res = __user_walk_fd(dfd, filename, LOOKUP_FOLLOW|LOOKUP_ACCESS, &nd);
 	if (res)
@@ -478,7 +483,9 @@ out_path_release:
 out:
 	current->fsuid = old_fsuid;
 	current->fsgid = old_fsgid;
-	current->cap_effective = old_cap;
+
+	if (!issecure(SECURE_NO_SETUID_FIXUP))
+		cap_set_effective(old_cap);
 
 	return res;
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/capability.h b/include/linux/capability.h
index fa830f8de03..02673846d20 100644
--- a/include/linux/capability.h
+++ b/include/linux/capability.h
@@ -501,6 +501,8 @@ extern const kernel_cap_t __cap_empty_set;
 extern const kernel_cap_t __cap_full_set;
 extern const kernel_cap_t __cap_init_eff_set;
 
+kernel_cap_t cap_set_effective(const kernel_cap_t pE_new);
+
 int capable(int cap);
 int __capable(struct task_struct *t, int cap);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/securebits.h b/include/linux/securebits.h
index c1f19dbceb0..92f09bdf117 100644
--- a/include/linux/securebits.h
+++ b/include/linux/securebits.h
@@ -7,14 +7,15 @@
    inheritance of root-permissions and suid-root executable under
    compatibility mode. We raise the effective and inheritable bitmasks
    *of the executable file* if the effective uid of the new process is
-   0. If the real uid is 0, we raise the inheritable bitmask of the
+   0. If the real uid is 0, we raise the effective (legacy) bit of the
    executable file. */
 #define SECURE_NOROOT			0
 #define SECURE_NOROOT_LOCKED		1  /* make bit-0 immutable */
 
-/* When set, setuid to/from uid 0 does not trigger capability-"fixes"
-   to be compatible with old programs relying on set*uid to loose
-   privileges. When unset, setuid doesn't change privileges. */
+/* When set, setuid to/from uid 0 does not trigger capability-"fixup".
+   When unset, to provide compatiblility with old programs relying on
+   set*uid to gain/lose privilege, transitions to/from uid 0 cause
+   capabilities to be gained/lost. */
 #define SECURE_NO_SETUID_FIXUP		2
 #define SECURE_NO_SETUID_FIXUP_LOCKED	3  /* make bit-2 immutable */
 
@@ -26,10 +27,10 @@
 #define SECURE_KEEP_CAPS		4
 #define SECURE_KEEP_CAPS_LOCKED		5  /* make bit-4 immutable */
 
-/* Each securesetting is implemented using two bits. One bit specify
+/* Each securesetting is implemented using two bits. One bit specifies
    whether the setting is on or off. The other bit specify whether the
-   setting is fixed or not. A setting which is fixed cannot be changed
-   from user-level. */
+   setting is locked or not. A setting which is locked cannot be
+   changed from user-level. */
 #define issecure_mask(X)	(1 << (X))
 #define issecure(X)		(issecure_mask(X) & current->securebits)
 
diff --git a/kernel/capability.c b/kernel/capability.c
index cfbe4429948..901e0fdc3ff 100644
--- a/kernel/capability.c
+++ b/kernel/capability.c
@@ -121,6 +121,27 @@ static int cap_validate_magic(cap_user_header_t header, unsigned *tocopy)
  * uninteresting and/or not to be changed.
  */
 
+/*
+ * Atomically modify the effective capabilities returning the original
+ * value. No permission check is performed here - it is assumed that the
+ * caller is permitted to set the desired effective capabilities.
+ */
+kernel_cap_t cap_set_effective(const kernel_cap_t pE_new)
+{
+	kernel_cap_t pE_old;
+
+	spin_lock(&task_capability_lock);
+
+	pE_old = current->cap_effective;
+	current->cap_effective = pE_new;
+
+	spin_unlock(&task_capability_lock);
+
+	return pE_old;
+}
+
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(cap_set_effective);
+
 /**
  * sys_capget - get the capabilities of a given process.
  * @header: pointer to struct that contains capability version and