diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index 6645846f205..a7bea8c8bd4 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -1937,6 +1937,21 @@ dput_out:
 	return retval;
 }
 
+static struct mnt_namespace *alloc_mnt_ns(void)
+{
+	struct mnt_namespace *new_ns;
+
+	new_ns = kmalloc(sizeof(struct mnt_namespace), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!new_ns)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+	atomic_set(&new_ns->count, 1);
+	new_ns->root = NULL;
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&new_ns->list);
+	init_waitqueue_head(&new_ns->poll);
+	new_ns->event = 0;
+	return new_ns;
+}
+
 /*
  * Allocate a new namespace structure and populate it with contents
  * copied from the namespace of the passed in task structure.
@@ -1948,14 +1963,9 @@ static struct mnt_namespace *dup_mnt_ns(struct mnt_namespace *mnt_ns,
 	struct vfsmount *rootmnt = NULL, *pwdmnt = NULL;
 	struct vfsmount *p, *q;
 
-	new_ns = kmalloc(sizeof(struct mnt_namespace), GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!new_ns)
-		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
-
-	atomic_set(&new_ns->count, 1);
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&new_ns->list);
-	init_waitqueue_head(&new_ns->poll);
-	new_ns->event = 0;
+	new_ns = alloc_mnt_ns();
+	if (IS_ERR(new_ns))
+		return new_ns;
 
 	down_write(&namespace_sem);
 	/* First pass: copy the tree topology */
@@ -2019,6 +2029,24 @@ struct mnt_namespace *copy_mnt_ns(unsigned long flags, struct mnt_namespace *ns,
 	return new_ns;
 }
 
+/**
+ * create_mnt_ns - creates a private namespace and adds a root filesystem
+ * @mnt: pointer to the new root filesystem mountpoint
+ */
+struct mnt_namespace *create_mnt_ns(struct vfsmount *mnt)
+{
+	struct mnt_namespace *new_ns;
+
+	new_ns = alloc_mnt_ns();
+	if (!IS_ERR(new_ns)) {
+		mnt->mnt_ns = new_ns;
+		new_ns->root = mnt;
+		list_add(&new_ns->list, &new_ns->root->mnt_list);
+	}
+	return new_ns;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(create_mnt_ns);
+
 SYSCALL_DEFINE5(mount, char __user *, dev_name, char __user *, dir_name,
 		char __user *, type, unsigned long, flags, void __user *, data)
 {
@@ -2264,3 +2292,4 @@ void put_mnt_ns(struct mnt_namespace *ns)
 	release_mounts(&umount_list);
 	kfree(ns);
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(put_mnt_ns);
diff --git a/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h b/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h
index 299d11af5f7..3beb2592b03 100644
--- a/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h
+++ b/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ struct proc_mounts {
 
 struct fs_struct;
 
+extern struct mnt_namespace *create_mnt_ns(struct vfsmount *mnt);
 extern struct mnt_namespace *copy_mnt_ns(unsigned long, struct mnt_namespace *,
 		struct fs_struct *);
 extern void put_mnt_ns(struct mnt_namespace *ns);