diff --git a/block/blk-cgroup.c b/block/blk-cgroup.c
index 78ccbdcfe723..0e2619c1a422 100644
--- a/block/blk-cgroup.c
+++ b/block/blk-cgroup.c
@@ -753,6 +753,44 @@ static struct blkcg_gq *blkg_lookup_check(struct blkcg *blkcg,
 	return __blkg_lookup(blkcg, q, true /* update_hint */);
 }
 
+/**
+ * blkg_conf_prep - parse and prepare for per-blkg config update
+ * @inputp: input string pointer
+ *
+ * Parse the device node prefix part, MAJ:MIN, of per-blkg config update
+ * from @input and get and return the matching gendisk.  *@inputp is
+ * updated to point past the device node prefix.  Returns an ERR_PTR()
+ * value on error.
+ *
+ * Use this function iff blkg_conf_prep() can't be used for some reason.
+ */
+struct gendisk *blkcg_conf_get_disk(char **inputp)
+{
+	char *input = *inputp;
+	unsigned int major, minor;
+	struct gendisk *disk;
+	int key_len, part;
+
+	if (sscanf(input, "%u:%u%n", &major, &minor, &key_len) != 2)
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+
+	input += key_len;
+	if (!isspace(*input))
+		return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
+	input = skip_spaces(input);
+
+	disk = get_gendisk(MKDEV(major, minor), &part);
+	if (!disk)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENODEV);
+	if (part) {
+		put_disk_and_module(disk);
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENODEV);
+	}
+
+	*inputp = input;
+	return disk;
+}
+
 /**
  * blkg_conf_prep - parse and prepare for per-blkg config update
  * @blkcg: target block cgroup
@@ -772,25 +810,11 @@ int blkg_conf_prep(struct blkcg *blkcg, const struct blkcg_policy *pol,
 	struct gendisk *disk;
 	struct request_queue *q;
 	struct blkcg_gq *blkg;
-	unsigned int major, minor;
-	int key_len, part, ret;
-	char *body;
+	int ret;
 
-	if (sscanf(input, "%u:%u%n", &major, &minor, &key_len) != 2)
-		return -EINVAL;
-
-	body = input + key_len;
-	if (!isspace(*body))
-		return -EINVAL;
-	body = skip_spaces(body);
-
-	disk = get_gendisk(MKDEV(major, minor), &part);
-	if (!disk)
-		return -ENODEV;
-	if (part) {
-		ret = -ENODEV;
-		goto fail;
-	}
+	disk = blkcg_conf_get_disk(&input);
+	if (IS_ERR(disk))
+		return PTR_ERR(disk);
 
 	q = disk->queue;
 
@@ -856,7 +880,7 @@ int blkg_conf_prep(struct blkcg *blkcg, const struct blkcg_policy *pol,
 success:
 	ctx->disk = disk;
 	ctx->blkg = blkg;
-	ctx->body = body;
+	ctx->body = input;
 	return 0;
 
 fail_unlock:
diff --git a/include/linux/blk-cgroup.h b/include/linux/blk-cgroup.h
index 261248e88eb1..bed9e43f9426 100644
--- a/include/linux/blk-cgroup.h
+++ b/include/linux/blk-cgroup.h
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ struct blkg_conf_ctx {
 	char				*body;
 };
 
+struct gendisk *blkcg_conf_get_disk(char **inputp);
 int blkg_conf_prep(struct blkcg *blkcg, const struct blkcg_policy *pol,
 		   char *input, struct blkg_conf_ctx *ctx);
 void blkg_conf_finish(struct blkg_conf_ctx *ctx);