diff --git a/Documentation/cpusets.txt b/Documentation/cpusets.txt
index ad944c060312..47f4114fbf54 100644
--- a/Documentation/cpusets.txt
+++ b/Documentation/cpusets.txt
@@ -60,6 +60,18 @@ all of the cpus in the system. This removes any overhead due to
 load balancing code trying to pull tasks outside of the cpu exclusive
 cpuset only to be prevented by the tasks' cpus_allowed mask.
 
+A cpuset that is mem_exclusive restricts kernel allocations for
+page, buffer and other data commonly shared by the kernel across
+multiple users.  All cpusets, whether mem_exclusive or not, restrict
+allocations of memory for user space.  This enables configuring a
+system so that several independent jobs can share common kernel
+data, such as file system pages, while isolating each jobs user
+allocation in its own cpuset.  To do this, construct a large
+mem_exclusive cpuset to hold all the jobs, and construct child,
+non-mem_exclusive cpusets for each individual job.  Only a small
+amount of typical kernel memory, such as requests from interrupt
+handlers, is allowed to be taken outside even a mem_exclusive cpuset.
+
 User level code may create and destroy cpusets by name in the cpuset
 virtual file system, manage the attributes and permissions of these
 cpusets and which CPUs and Memory Nodes are assigned to each cpuset,
diff --git a/include/linux/cpuset.h b/include/linux/cpuset.h
index 3438233305a3..1fe1c3ebad30 100644
--- a/include/linux/cpuset.h
+++ b/include/linux/cpuset.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ void cpuset_init_current_mems_allowed(void);
 void cpuset_update_current_mems_allowed(void);
 void cpuset_restrict_to_mems_allowed(unsigned long *nodes);
 int cpuset_zonelist_valid_mems_allowed(struct zonelist *zl);
-int cpuset_zone_allowed(struct zone *z);
+extern int cpuset_zone_allowed(struct zone *z, unsigned int __nocast gfp_mask);
 extern struct file_operations proc_cpuset_operations;
 extern char *cpuset_task_status_allowed(struct task_struct *task, char *buffer);
 
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ static inline int cpuset_zonelist_valid_mems_allowed(struct zonelist *zl)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static inline int cpuset_zone_allowed(struct zone *z)
+static inline int cpuset_zone_allowed(struct zone *z,
+					unsigned int __nocast gfp_mask)
 {
 	return 1;
 }
diff --git a/kernel/cpuset.c b/kernel/cpuset.c
index 8ab1b4e518b8..214806deca99 100644
--- a/kernel/cpuset.c
+++ b/kernel/cpuset.c
@@ -1611,17 +1611,81 @@ int cpuset_zonelist_valid_mems_allowed(struct zonelist *zl)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/**
- * cpuset_zone_allowed - is zone z allowed in current->mems_allowed
- * @z: zone in question
- *
- * Is zone z allowed in current->mems_allowed, or is
- * the CPU in interrupt context? (zone is always allowed in this case)
+/*
+ * nearest_exclusive_ancestor() - Returns the nearest mem_exclusive
+ * ancestor to the specified cpuset.  Call while holding cpuset_sem.
+ * If no ancestor is mem_exclusive (an unusual configuration), then
+ * returns the root cpuset.
  */
-int cpuset_zone_allowed(struct zone *z)
+static const struct cpuset *nearest_exclusive_ancestor(const struct cpuset *cs)
 {
-	return in_interrupt() ||
-		node_isset(z->zone_pgdat->node_id, current->mems_allowed);
+	while (!is_mem_exclusive(cs) && cs->parent)
+		cs = cs->parent;
+	return cs;
+}
+
+/**
+ * cpuset_zone_allowed - Can we allocate memory on zone z's memory node?
+ * @z: is this zone on an allowed node?
+ * @gfp_mask: memory allocation flags (we use __GFP_HARDWALL)
+ *
+ * If we're in interrupt, yes, we can always allocate.  If zone
+ * z's node is in our tasks mems_allowed, yes.  If it's not a
+ * __GFP_HARDWALL request and this zone's nodes is in the nearest
+ * mem_exclusive cpuset ancestor to this tasks cpuset, yes.
+ * Otherwise, no.
+ *
+ * GFP_USER allocations are marked with the __GFP_HARDWALL bit,
+ * and do not allow allocations outside the current tasks cpuset.
+ * GFP_KERNEL allocations are not so marked, so can escape to the
+ * nearest mem_exclusive ancestor cpuset.
+ *
+ * Scanning up parent cpusets requires cpuset_sem.  The __alloc_pages()
+ * routine only calls here with __GFP_HARDWALL bit _not_ set if
+ * it's a GFP_KERNEL allocation, and all nodes in the current tasks
+ * mems_allowed came up empty on the first pass over the zonelist.
+ * So only GFP_KERNEL allocations, if all nodes in the cpuset are
+ * short of memory, might require taking the cpuset_sem semaphore.
+ *
+ * The first loop over the zonelist in mm/page_alloc.c:__alloc_pages()
+ * calls here with __GFP_HARDWALL always set in gfp_mask, enforcing
+ * hardwall cpusets - no allocation on a node outside the cpuset is
+ * allowed (unless in interrupt, of course).
+ *
+ * The second loop doesn't even call here for GFP_ATOMIC requests
+ * (if the __alloc_pages() local variable 'wait' is set).  That check
+ * and the checks below have the combined affect in the second loop of
+ * the __alloc_pages() routine that:
+ *	in_interrupt - any node ok (current task context irrelevant)
+ *	GFP_ATOMIC   - any node ok
+ *	GFP_KERNEL   - any node in enclosing mem_exclusive cpuset ok
+ *	GFP_USER     - only nodes in current tasks mems allowed ok.
+ **/
+
+int cpuset_zone_allowed(struct zone *z, unsigned int __nocast gfp_mask)
+{
+	int node;			/* node that zone z is on */
+	const struct cpuset *cs;	/* current cpuset ancestors */
+	int allowed = 1;		/* is allocation in zone z allowed? */
+
+	if (in_interrupt())
+		return 1;
+	node = z->zone_pgdat->node_id;
+	if (node_isset(node, current->mems_allowed))
+		return 1;
+	if (gfp_mask & __GFP_HARDWALL)	/* If hardwall request, stop here */
+		return 0;
+
+	/* Not hardwall and node outside mems_allowed: scan up cpusets */
+	down(&cpuset_sem);
+	cs = current->cpuset;
+	if (!cs)
+		goto done;		/* current task exiting */
+	cs = nearest_exclusive_ancestor(cs);
+	allowed = node_isset(node, cs->mems_allowed);
+done:
+	up(&cpuset_sem);
+	return allowed;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c
index 14d7032c1d12..3974fd81d27c 100644
--- a/mm/page_alloc.c
+++ b/mm/page_alloc.c
@@ -806,11 +806,14 @@ __alloc_pages(unsigned int __nocast gfp_mask, unsigned int order,
 	classzone_idx = zone_idx(zones[0]);
 
 restart:
-	/* Go through the zonelist once, looking for a zone with enough free */
+	/*
+	 * Go through the zonelist once, looking for a zone with enough free.
+	 * See also cpuset_zone_allowed() comment in kernel/cpuset.c.
+	 */
 	for (i = 0; (z = zones[i]) != NULL; i++) {
 		int do_reclaim = should_reclaim_zone(z, gfp_mask);
 
-		if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(z))
+		if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(z, __GFP_HARDWALL))
 			continue;
 
 		/*
@@ -845,6 +848,7 @@ __alloc_pages(unsigned int __nocast gfp_mask, unsigned int order,
 	 *
 	 * This is the last chance, in general, before the goto nopage.
 	 * Ignore cpuset if GFP_ATOMIC (!wait) rather than fail alloc.
+	 * See also cpuset_zone_allowed() comment in kernel/cpuset.c.
 	 */
 	for (i = 0; (z = zones[i]) != NULL; i++) {
 		if (!zone_watermark_ok(z, order, z->pages_min,
@@ -852,7 +856,7 @@ __alloc_pages(unsigned int __nocast gfp_mask, unsigned int order,
 				       gfp_mask & __GFP_HIGH))
 			continue;
 
-		if (wait && !cpuset_zone_allowed(z))
+		if (wait && !cpuset_zone_allowed(z, gfp_mask))
 			continue;
 
 		page = buffered_rmqueue(z, order, gfp_mask);
@@ -867,7 +871,7 @@ __alloc_pages(unsigned int __nocast gfp_mask, unsigned int order,
 		if (!(gfp_mask & __GFP_NOMEMALLOC)) {
 			/* go through the zonelist yet again, ignoring mins */
 			for (i = 0; (z = zones[i]) != NULL; i++) {
-				if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(z))
+				if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(z, gfp_mask))
 					continue;
 				page = buffered_rmqueue(z, order, gfp_mask);
 				if (page)
@@ -903,7 +907,7 @@ __alloc_pages(unsigned int __nocast gfp_mask, unsigned int order,
 					       gfp_mask & __GFP_HIGH))
 				continue;
 
-			if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(z))
+			if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(z, gfp_mask))
 				continue;
 
 			page = buffered_rmqueue(z, order, gfp_mask);
@@ -922,7 +926,7 @@ __alloc_pages(unsigned int __nocast gfp_mask, unsigned int order,
 					       classzone_idx, 0, 0))
 				continue;
 
-			if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(z))
+			if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(z, __GFP_HARDWALL))
 				continue;
 
 			page = buffered_rmqueue(z, order, gfp_mask);
diff --git a/mm/vmscan.c b/mm/vmscan.c
index 0095533cdde9..a740778f688d 100644
--- a/mm/vmscan.c
+++ b/mm/vmscan.c
@@ -894,7 +894,7 @@ shrink_caches(struct zone **zones, struct scan_control *sc)
 		if (zone->present_pages == 0)
 			continue;
 
-		if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(zone))
+		if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(zone, __GFP_HARDWALL))
 			continue;
 
 		zone->temp_priority = sc->priority;
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ int try_to_free_pages(struct zone **zones, unsigned int gfp_mask)
 	for (i = 0; zones[i] != NULL; i++) {
 		struct zone *zone = zones[i];
 
-		if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(zone))
+		if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(zone, __GFP_HARDWALL))
 			continue;
 
 		zone->temp_priority = DEF_PRIORITY;
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ int try_to_free_pages(struct zone **zones, unsigned int gfp_mask)
 	for (i = 0; zones[i] != 0; i++) {
 		struct zone *zone = zones[i];
 
-		if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(zone))
+		if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(zone, __GFP_HARDWALL))
 			continue;
 
 		zone->prev_priority = zone->temp_priority;
@@ -1256,7 +1256,7 @@ void wakeup_kswapd(struct zone *zone, int order)
 		return;
 	if (pgdat->kswapd_max_order < order)
 		pgdat->kswapd_max_order = order;
-	if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(zone))
+	if (!cpuset_zone_allowed(zone, __GFP_HARDWALL))
 		return;
 	if (!waitqueue_active(&zone->zone_pgdat->kswapd_wait))
 		return;