diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index ec85124..7aad258 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -1876,8 +1876,7 @@
 	/*
 	 * Don't move a mount residing in a shared parent.
 	 */
-	if (old_path.mnt->mnt_parent &&
-	    IS_MNT_SHARED(old_path.mnt->mnt_parent))
+	if (IS_MNT_SHARED(old_path.mnt->mnt_parent))
 		goto out1;
 	/*
 	 * Don't move a mount tree containing unbindable mounts to a destination
@@ -2534,6 +2533,31 @@
 }
 
 /*
+ * Return true if path is reachable from root
+ *
+ * namespace_sem or vfsmount_lock is held
+ */
+bool is_path_reachable(struct vfsmount *mnt, struct dentry *dentry,
+			 const struct path *root)
+{
+	while (mnt != root->mnt && mnt_has_parent(mnt)) {
+		dentry = mnt->mnt_mountpoint;
+		mnt = mnt->mnt_parent;
+	}
+	return mnt == root->mnt && is_subdir(dentry, root->dentry);
+}
+
+int path_is_under(struct path *path1, struct path *path2)
+{
+	int res;
+	br_read_lock(vfsmount_lock);
+	res = is_path_reachable(path1->mnt, path1->dentry, path2);
+	br_read_unlock(vfsmount_lock);
+	return res;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(path_is_under);
+
+/*
  * pivot_root Semantics:
  * Moves the root file system of the current process to the directory put_old,
  * makes new_root as the new root file system of the current process, and sets
@@ -2561,7 +2585,6 @@
 SYSCALL_DEFINE2(pivot_root, const char __user *, new_root,
 		const char __user *, put_old)
 {
-	struct vfsmount *tmp;
 	struct path new, old, parent_path, root_parent, root;
 	int error;
 
@@ -2611,18 +2634,7 @@
 	if (!mnt_has_parent(new.mnt))
 		goto out4; /* not attached */
 	/* make sure we can reach put_old from new_root */
-	tmp = old.mnt;
-	if (tmp != new.mnt) {
-		for (;;) {
-			if (!mnt_has_parent(tmp))
-				goto out4; /* already mounted on put_old */
-			if (tmp->mnt_parent == new.mnt)
-				break;
-			tmp = tmp->mnt_parent;
-		}
-		if (!is_subdir(tmp->mnt_mountpoint, new.dentry))
-			goto out4;
-	} else if (!is_subdir(old.dentry, new.dentry))
+	if (!is_path_reachable(old.mnt, old.dentry, &new))
 		goto out4;
 	br_write_lock(vfsmount_lock);
 	detach_mnt(new.mnt, &parent_path);