diff --git a/block/blk-settings.c b/block/blk-settings.c
index e14fcbcedbfa..d52d4adc440b 100644
--- a/block/blk-settings.c
+++ b/block/blk-settings.c
@@ -505,20 +505,30 @@ static unsigned int lcm(unsigned int a, unsigned int b)
 
 /**
  * blk_stack_limits - adjust queue_limits for stacked devices
- * @t:	the stacking driver limits (top)
- * @b:  the underlying queue limits (bottom)
+ * @t:	the stacking driver limits (top device)
+ * @b:  the underlying queue limits (bottom, component device)
  * @offset:  offset to beginning of data within component device
  *
  * Description:
- *    Merges two queue_limit structs.  Returns 0 if alignment didn't
- *    change.  Returns -1 if adding the bottom device caused
- *    misalignment.
+ *    This function is used by stacking drivers like MD and DM to ensure
+ *    that all component devices have compatible block sizes and
+ *    alignments.  The stacking driver must provide a queue_limits
+ *    struct (top) and then iteratively call the stacking function for
+ *    all component (bottom) devices.  The stacking function will
+ *    attempt to combine the values and ensure proper alignment.
+ *
+ *    Returns 0 if the top and bottom queue_limits are compatible.  The
+ *    top device's block sizes and alignment offsets may be adjusted to
+ *    ensure alignment with the bottom device. If no compatible sizes
+ *    and alignments exist, -1 is returned and the resulting top
+ *    queue_limits will have the misaligned flag set to indicate that
+ *    the alignment_offset is undefined.
  */
 int blk_stack_limits(struct queue_limits *t, struct queue_limits *b,
 		     sector_t offset)
 {
 	sector_t alignment;
-	unsigned int top, bottom, granularity;
+	unsigned int top, bottom;
 
 	t->max_sectors = min_not_zero(t->max_sectors, b->max_sectors);
 	t->max_hw_sectors = min_not_zero(t->max_hw_sectors, b->max_hw_sectors);
@@ -536,15 +546,18 @@ int blk_stack_limits(struct queue_limits *t, struct queue_limits *b,
 	t->max_segment_size = min_not_zero(t->max_segment_size,
 					   b->max_segment_size);
 
-	granularity = max(b->physical_block_size, b->io_min);
-	alignment = b->alignment_offset - (offset & (granularity - 1));
+	alignment = queue_limit_alignment_offset(b, offset);
 
+	/* Bottom device has different alignment.  Check that it is
+	 * compatible with the current top alignment.
+	 */
 	if (t->alignment_offset != alignment) {
 
 		top = max(t->physical_block_size, t->io_min)
 			+ t->alignment_offset;
-		bottom = granularity + alignment;
+		bottom = max(b->physical_block_size, b->io_min) + alignment;
 
+		/* Verify that top and bottom intervals line up */
 		if (max(top, bottom) & (min(top, bottom) - 1))
 			t->misaligned = 1;
 	}
@@ -561,32 +574,39 @@ int blk_stack_limits(struct queue_limits *t, struct queue_limits *b,
 	t->no_cluster |= b->no_cluster;
 	t->discard_zeroes_data &= b->discard_zeroes_data;
 
+	/* Physical block size a multiple of the logical block size? */
 	if (t->physical_block_size & (t->logical_block_size - 1)) {
 		t->physical_block_size = t->logical_block_size;
 		t->misaligned = 1;
 	}
 
+	/* Minimum I/O a multiple of the physical block size? */
 	if (t->io_min & (t->physical_block_size - 1)) {
 		t->io_min = t->physical_block_size;
 		t->misaligned = 1;
 	}
 
+	/* Optimal I/O a multiple of the physical block size? */
 	if (t->io_opt & (t->physical_block_size - 1)) {
 		t->io_opt = 0;
 		t->misaligned = 1;
 	}
 
+	/* Find lowest common alignment_offset */
 	t->alignment_offset = lcm(t->alignment_offset, alignment)
 		& (max(t->physical_block_size, t->io_min) - 1);
 
+	/* Verify that new alignment_offset is on a logical block boundary */
 	if (t->alignment_offset & (t->logical_block_size - 1))
 		t->misaligned = 1;
 
 	/* Discard alignment and granularity */
 	if (b->discard_granularity) {
+		unsigned int granularity = b->discard_granularity;
+		offset &= granularity - 1;
 
-		alignment = b->discard_alignment -
-			(offset & (b->discard_granularity - 1));
+		alignment = (granularity + b->discard_alignment - offset)
+			& (granularity - 1);
 
 		if (t->discard_granularity != 0 &&
 		    t->discard_alignment != alignment) {
@@ -598,6 +618,8 @@ int blk_stack_limits(struct queue_limits *t, struct queue_limits *b,
 				t->discard_misaligned = 1;
 		}
 
+		t->max_discard_sectors = min_not_zero(t->max_discard_sectors,
+						      b->max_discard_sectors);
 		t->discard_granularity = max(t->discard_granularity,
 					     b->discard_granularity);
 		t->discard_alignment = lcm(t->discard_alignment, alignment) &
diff --git a/include/linux/blkdev.h b/include/linux/blkdev.h
index 784a919aa0d0..59b832be3044 100644
--- a/include/linux/blkdev.h
+++ b/include/linux/blkdev.h
@@ -1116,11 +1116,18 @@ static inline int queue_alignment_offset(struct request_queue *q)
 	return q->limits.alignment_offset;
 }
 
+static inline int queue_limit_alignment_offset(struct queue_limits *lim, sector_t offset)
+{
+	unsigned int granularity = max(lim->physical_block_size, lim->io_min);
+
+	offset &= granularity - 1;
+	return (granularity + lim->alignment_offset - offset) & (granularity - 1);
+}
+
 static inline int queue_sector_alignment_offset(struct request_queue *q,
 						sector_t sector)
 {
-	return ((sector << 9) - q->limits.alignment_offset)
-		& (q->limits.io_min - 1);
+	return queue_limit_alignment_offset(&q->limits, sector << 9);
 }
 
 static inline int bdev_alignment_offset(struct block_device *bdev)