diff --git a/fs/crypto/hooks.c b/fs/crypto/hooks.c
index 069088e91ea9..8b90217320dd 100644
--- a/fs/crypto/hooks.c
+++ b/fs/crypto/hooks.c
@@ -47,3 +47,18 @@ int fscrypt_file_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 	return err;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(fscrypt_file_open);
+
+int __fscrypt_prepare_link(struct inode *inode, struct inode *dir)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	err = fscrypt_require_key(dir);
+	if (err)
+		return err;
+
+	if (!fscrypt_has_permitted_context(dir, inode))
+		return -EPERM;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__fscrypt_prepare_link);
diff --git a/include/linux/fscrypt.h b/include/linux/fscrypt.h
index cc86d49c820d..6ceb76abd842 100644
--- a/include/linux/fscrypt.h
+++ b/include/linux/fscrypt.h
@@ -178,4 +178,31 @@ static inline int fscrypt_require_key(struct inode *inode)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * fscrypt_prepare_link - prepare to link an inode into a possibly-encrypted directory
+ * @old_dentry: an existing dentry for the inode being linked
+ * @dir: the target directory
+ * @dentry: negative dentry for the target filename
+ *
+ * A new link can only be added to an encrypted directory if the directory's
+ * encryption key is available --- since otherwise we'd have no way to encrypt
+ * the filename.  Therefore, we first set up the directory's encryption key (if
+ * not already done) and return an error if it's unavailable.
+ *
+ * We also verify that the link will not violate the constraint that all files
+ * in an encrypted directory tree use the same encryption policy.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success, -ENOKEY if the directory's encryption key is missing,
+ * -EPERM if the link would result in an inconsistent encryption policy, or
+ * another -errno code.
+ */
+static inline int fscrypt_prepare_link(struct dentry *old_dentry,
+				       struct inode *dir,
+				       struct dentry *dentry)
+{
+	if (IS_ENCRYPTED(dir))
+		return __fscrypt_prepare_link(d_inode(old_dentry), dir);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 #endif	/* _LINUX_FSCRYPT_H */
diff --git a/include/linux/fscrypt_notsupp.h b/include/linux/fscrypt_notsupp.h
index ea26d4c609df..a80917bc2102 100644
--- a/include/linux/fscrypt_notsupp.h
+++ b/include/linux/fscrypt_notsupp.h
@@ -187,4 +187,10 @@ static inline int fscrypt_file_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static inline int __fscrypt_prepare_link(struct inode *inode,
+					 struct inode *dir)
+{
+	return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+}
+
 #endif	/* _LINUX_FSCRYPT_NOTSUPP_H */
diff --git a/include/linux/fscrypt_supp.h b/include/linux/fscrypt_supp.h
index 0551352156e4..547cdbd04f17 100644
--- a/include/linux/fscrypt_supp.h
+++ b/include/linux/fscrypt_supp.h
@@ -146,5 +146,6 @@ extern int fscrypt_zeroout_range(const struct inode *, pgoff_t, sector_t,
 
 /* hooks.c */
 extern int fscrypt_file_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp);
+extern int __fscrypt_prepare_link(struct inode *inode, struct inode *dir);
 
 #endif	/* _LINUX_FSCRYPT_SUPP_H */