diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index 182bc41cd887..7187d01329c3 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -2972,13 +2972,13 @@ static void *mntns_get(struct task_struct *task)
 	struct mnt_namespace *ns = NULL;
 	struct nsproxy *nsproxy;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	nsproxy = task_nsproxy(task);
+	task_lock(task);
+	nsproxy = task->nsproxy;
 	if (nsproxy) {
 		ns = nsproxy->mnt_ns;
 		get_mnt_ns(ns);
 	}
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	task_unlock(task);
 
 	return ns;
 }
diff --git a/fs/proc/proc_net.c b/fs/proc/proc_net.c
index 4677bb7dc7c2..a63af3e0a612 100644
--- a/fs/proc/proc_net.c
+++ b/fs/proc/proc_net.c
@@ -113,9 +113,11 @@ static struct net *get_proc_task_net(struct inode *dir)
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	task = pid_task(proc_pid(dir), PIDTYPE_PID);
 	if (task != NULL) {
-		ns = task_nsproxy(task);
+		task_lock(task);
+		ns = task->nsproxy;
 		if (ns != NULL)
 			net = get_net(ns->net_ns);
+		task_unlock(task);
 	}
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 
diff --git a/fs/proc_namespace.c b/fs/proc_namespace.c
index 1a81373947f3..73ca1740d839 100644
--- a/fs/proc_namespace.c
+++ b/fs/proc_namespace.c
@@ -232,17 +232,15 @@ static int mounts_open_common(struct inode *inode, struct file *file,
 	if (!task)
 		goto err;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	nsp = task_nsproxy(task);
+	task_lock(task);
+	nsp = task->nsproxy;
 	if (!nsp || !nsp->mnt_ns) {
-		rcu_read_unlock();
+		task_unlock(task);
 		put_task_struct(task);
 		goto err;
 	}
 	ns = nsp->mnt_ns;
 	get_mnt_ns(ns);
-	rcu_read_unlock();
-	task_lock(task);
 	if (!task->fs) {
 		task_unlock(task);
 		put_task_struct(task);
diff --git a/include/linux/nsproxy.h b/include/linux/nsproxy.h
index b4ec59d159ac..35fa08fd7739 100644
--- a/include/linux/nsproxy.h
+++ b/include/linux/nsproxy.h
@@ -40,32 +40,28 @@ extern struct nsproxy init_nsproxy;
  * the namespaces access rules are:
  *
  *  1. only current task is allowed to change tsk->nsproxy pointer or
- *     any pointer on the nsproxy itself
+ *     any pointer on the nsproxy itself.  Current must hold the task_lock
+ *     when changing tsk->nsproxy.
  *
  *  2. when accessing (i.e. reading) current task's namespaces - no
  *     precautions should be taken - just dereference the pointers
  *
  *  3. the access to other task namespaces is performed like this
- *     rcu_read_lock();
- *     nsproxy = task_nsproxy(tsk);
+ *     task_lock(task);
+ *     nsproxy = task->nsproxy;
  *     if (nsproxy != NULL) {
  *             / *
  *               * work with the namespaces here
  *               * e.g. get the reference on one of them
  *               * /
  *     } / *
- *         * NULL task_nsproxy() means that this task is
+ *         * NULL task->nsproxy means that this task is
  *         * almost dead (zombie)
  *         * /
- *     rcu_read_unlock();
+ *     task_unlock(task);
  *
  */
 
-static inline struct nsproxy *task_nsproxy(struct task_struct *tsk)
-{
-	return rcu_dereference(tsk->nsproxy);
-}
-
 int copy_namespaces(unsigned long flags, struct task_struct *tsk);
 void exit_task_namespaces(struct task_struct *tsk);
 void switch_task_namespaces(struct task_struct *tsk, struct nsproxy *new);
diff --git a/ipc/namespace.c b/ipc/namespace.c
index 59451c1e214d..b54468e48e32 100644
--- a/ipc/namespace.c
+++ b/ipc/namespace.c
@@ -154,11 +154,11 @@ static void *ipcns_get(struct task_struct *task)
 	struct ipc_namespace *ns = NULL;
 	struct nsproxy *nsproxy;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	nsproxy = task_nsproxy(task);
+	task_lock(task);
+	nsproxy = task->nsproxy;
 	if (nsproxy)
 		ns = get_ipc_ns(nsproxy->ipc_ns);
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	task_unlock(task);
 
 	return ns;
 }
diff --git a/kernel/nsproxy.c b/kernel/nsproxy.c
index 8e7811086b82..ef42d0ab3115 100644
--- a/kernel/nsproxy.c
+++ b/kernel/nsproxy.c
@@ -204,20 +204,13 @@ void switch_task_namespaces(struct task_struct *p, struct nsproxy *new)
 
 	might_sleep();
 
+	task_lock(p);
 	ns = p->nsproxy;
+	p->nsproxy = new;
+	task_unlock(p);
 
-	rcu_assign_pointer(p->nsproxy, new);
-
-	if (ns && atomic_dec_and_test(&ns->count)) {
-		/*
-		 * wait for others to get what they want from this nsproxy.
-		 *
-		 * cannot release this nsproxy via the call_rcu() since
-		 * put_mnt_ns() will want to sleep
-		 */
-		synchronize_rcu();
+	if (ns && atomic_dec_and_test(&ns->count))
 		free_nsproxy(ns);
-	}
 }
 
 void exit_task_namespaces(struct task_struct *p)
diff --git a/kernel/utsname.c b/kernel/utsname.c
index fd393124e507..883aaaa7de8a 100644
--- a/kernel/utsname.c
+++ b/kernel/utsname.c
@@ -93,13 +93,13 @@ static void *utsns_get(struct task_struct *task)
 	struct uts_namespace *ns = NULL;
 	struct nsproxy *nsproxy;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	nsproxy = task_nsproxy(task);
+	task_lock(task);
+	nsproxy = task->nsproxy;
 	if (nsproxy) {
 		ns = nsproxy->uts_ns;
 		get_uts_ns(ns);
 	}
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	task_unlock(task);
 
 	return ns;
 }
diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index 85b62691f4f2..7c6b51a58968 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -373,9 +373,11 @@ struct net *get_net_ns_by_pid(pid_t pid)
 	tsk = find_task_by_vpid(pid);
 	if (tsk) {
 		struct nsproxy *nsproxy;
-		nsproxy = task_nsproxy(tsk);
+		task_lock(tsk);
+		nsproxy = tsk->nsproxy;
 		if (nsproxy)
 			net = get_net(nsproxy->net_ns);
+		task_unlock(tsk);
 	}
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 	return net;
@@ -632,11 +634,11 @@ static void *netns_get(struct task_struct *task)
 	struct net *net = NULL;
 	struct nsproxy *nsproxy;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	nsproxy = task_nsproxy(task);
+	task_lock(task);
+	nsproxy = task->nsproxy;
 	if (nsproxy)
 		net = get_net(nsproxy->net_ns);
-	rcu_read_unlock();
+	task_unlock(task);
 
 	return net;
 }