diff --git a/certs/blacklist.c b/certs/blacklist.c
index 6514f9ebc943..f1c434b04b5e 100644
--- a/certs/blacklist.c
+++ b/certs/blacklist.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ static int __init blacklist_init(void)
 			      KEY_USR_VIEW | KEY_USR_READ |
 			      KEY_USR_SEARCH,
 			      KEY_ALLOC_NOT_IN_QUOTA |
-			      KEY_FLAG_KEEP,
+			      KEY_ALLOC_SET_KEEP,
 			      NULL, NULL);
 	if (IS_ERR(blacklist_keyring))
 		panic("Can't allocate system blacklist keyring\n");
diff --git a/include/linux/key.h b/include/linux/key.h
index 0f2e24f13c2b..eed3ce139a32 100644
--- a/include/linux/key.h
+++ b/include/linux/key.h
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ extern struct key *key_alloc(struct key_type *type,
 #define KEY_ALLOC_BUILT_IN		0x0004	/* Key is built into kernel */
 #define KEY_ALLOC_BYPASS_RESTRICTION	0x0008	/* Override the check on restricted keyrings */
 #define KEY_ALLOC_UID_KEYRING		0x0010	/* allocating a user or user session keyring */
+#define KEY_ALLOC_SET_KEEP		0x0020	/* Set the KEEP flag on the key/keyring */
 
 extern void key_revoke(struct key *key);
 extern void key_invalidate(struct key *key);
diff --git a/security/integrity/ima/ima_mok.c b/security/integrity/ima/ima_mok.c
index 36cadadbfba4..1e5c01916173 100644
--- a/security/integrity/ima/ima_mok.c
+++ b/security/integrity/ima/ima_mok.c
@@ -38,13 +38,12 @@ __init int ima_mok_init(void)
 				(KEY_POS_ALL & ~KEY_POS_SETATTR) |
 				KEY_USR_VIEW | KEY_USR_READ |
 				KEY_USR_WRITE | KEY_USR_SEARCH,
-				KEY_ALLOC_NOT_IN_QUOTA,
+				KEY_ALLOC_NOT_IN_QUOTA |
+				KEY_ALLOC_SET_KEEP,
 				restriction, NULL);
 
 	if (IS_ERR(ima_blacklist_keyring))
 		panic("Can't allocate IMA blacklist keyring.");
-
-	set_bit(KEY_FLAG_KEEP, &ima_blacklist_keyring->flags);
 	return 0;
 }
 device_initcall(ima_mok_init);
diff --git a/security/keys/key.c b/security/keys/key.c
index e282c6179b21..151ff39b6803 100644
--- a/security/keys/key.c
+++ b/security/keys/key.c
@@ -303,6 +303,8 @@ struct key *key_alloc(struct key_type *type, const char *desc,
 		key->flags |= 1 << KEY_FLAG_BUILTIN;
 	if (flags & KEY_ALLOC_UID_KEYRING)
 		key->flags |= 1 << KEY_FLAG_UID_KEYRING;
+	if (flags & KEY_ALLOC_SET_KEEP)
+		key->flags |= 1 << KEY_FLAG_KEEP;
 
 #ifdef KEY_DEBUGGING
 	key->magic = KEY_DEBUG_MAGIC;