diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt b/Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt
index aef74cdecc21..d1b98257d000 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt
@@ -398,6 +398,33 @@ As a consequence of this, default_groups cannot be removed directly via
 rmdir(2).  They also are not considered when rmdir(2) on the parent
 group is checking for children.
 
+[Dependant Subsystems]
+
+Sometimes other drivers depend on particular configfs items.  For
+example, ocfs2 mounts depend on a heartbeat region item.  If that
+region item is removed with rmdir(2), the ocfs2 mount must BUG or go
+readonly.  Not happy.
+
+configfs provides two additional API calls: configfs_depend_item() and
+configfs_undepend_item().  A client driver can call
+configfs_depend_item() on an existing item to tell configfs that it is
+depended on.  configfs will then return -EBUSY from rmdir(2) for that
+item.  When the item is no longer depended on, the client driver calls
+configfs_undepend_item() on it.
+
+These API cannot be called underneath any configfs callbacks, as
+they will conflict.  They can block and allocate.  A client driver
+probably shouldn't calling them of its own gumption.  Rather it should
+be providing an API that external subsystems call.
+
+How does this work?  Imagine the ocfs2 mount process.  When it mounts,
+it asks for a heartbeat region item.  This is done via a call into the
+heartbeat code.  Inside the heartbeat code, the region item is looked
+up.  Here, the heartbeat code calls configfs_depend_item().  If it
+succeeds, then heartbeat knows the region is safe to give to ocfs2.
+If it fails, it was being torn down anyway, and heartbeat can gracefully
+pass up an error.
+
 [Committable Items]
 
 NOTE: Committable items are currently unimplemented.
diff --git a/fs/configfs/configfs_internal.h b/fs/configfs/configfs_internal.h
index 7b48c034b312..3b0185fdf9a4 100644
--- a/fs/configfs/configfs_internal.h
+++ b/fs/configfs/configfs_internal.h
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@
 
 struct configfs_dirent {
 	atomic_t		s_count;
+	int			s_dependent_count;
 	struct list_head	s_sibling;
 	struct list_head	s_children;
 	struct list_head	s_links;
-	void 			* s_element;
+	void			* s_element;
 	int			s_type;
 	umode_t			s_mode;
 	struct dentry		* s_dentry;
@@ -41,8 +42,8 @@ struct configfs_dirent {
 
 #define CONFIGFS_ROOT		0x0001
 #define CONFIGFS_DIR		0x0002
-#define CONFIGFS_ITEM_ATTR 	0x0004
-#define CONFIGFS_ITEM_LINK 	0x0020
+#define CONFIGFS_ITEM_ATTR	0x0004
+#define CONFIGFS_ITEM_LINK	0x0020
 #define CONFIGFS_USET_DIR	0x0040
 #define CONFIGFS_USET_DEFAULT	0x0080
 #define CONFIGFS_USET_DROPPING	0x0100
diff --git a/fs/configfs/dir.c b/fs/configfs/dir.c
index 125954723eb7..2f436d4f1d6d 100644
--- a/fs/configfs/dir.c
+++ b/fs/configfs/dir.c
@@ -355,6 +355,10 @@ static int configfs_detach_prep(struct dentry *dentry)
 			/* Mark that we've taken i_mutex */
 			sd->s_type |= CONFIGFS_USET_DROPPING;
 
+			/*
+			 * Yup, recursive.  If there's a problem, blame
+			 * deep nesting of default_groups
+			 */
 			ret = configfs_detach_prep(sd->s_dentry);
 			if (!ret)
 				continue;
@@ -760,6 +764,239 @@ static void client_drop_item(struct config_item *parent_item,
 		config_item_put(item);
 }
 
+#ifdef DEBUG
+static void configfs_dump_one(struct configfs_dirent *sd, int level)
+{
+	printk(KERN_INFO "%*s\"%s\":\n", level, " ", configfs_get_name(sd));
+
+#define type_print(_type) if (sd->s_type & _type) printk(KERN_INFO "%*s %s\n", level, " ", #_type);
+	type_print(CONFIGFS_ROOT);
+	type_print(CONFIGFS_DIR);
+	type_print(CONFIGFS_ITEM_ATTR);
+	type_print(CONFIGFS_ITEM_LINK);
+	type_print(CONFIGFS_USET_DIR);
+	type_print(CONFIGFS_USET_DEFAULT);
+	type_print(CONFIGFS_USET_DROPPING);
+#undef type_print
+}
+
+static int configfs_dump(struct configfs_dirent *sd, int level)
+{
+	struct configfs_dirent *child_sd;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	configfs_dump_one(sd, level);
+
+	if (!(sd->s_type & (CONFIGFS_DIR|CONFIGFS_ROOT)))
+		return 0;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(child_sd, &sd->s_children, s_sibling) {
+		ret = configfs_dump(child_sd, level + 2);
+		if (ret)
+			break;
+	}
+
+	return ret;
+}
+#endif
+
+
+/*
+ * configfs_depend_item() and configfs_undepend_item()
+ *
+ * WARNING: Do not call these from a configfs callback!
+ *
+ * This describes these functions and their helpers.
+ *
+ * Allow another kernel system to depend on a config_item.  If this
+ * happens, the item cannot go away until the dependant can live without
+ * it.  The idea is to give client modules as simple an interface as
+ * possible.  When a system asks them to depend on an item, they just
+ * call configfs_depend_item().  If the item is live and the client
+ * driver is in good shape, we'll happily do the work for them.
+ *
+ * Why is the locking complex?  Because configfs uses the VFS to handle
+ * all locking, but this function is called outside the normal
+ * VFS->configfs path.  So it must take VFS locks to prevent the
+ * VFS->configfs stuff (configfs_mkdir(), configfs_rmdir(), etc).  This is
+ * why you can't call these functions underneath configfs callbacks.
+ *
+ * Note, btw, that this can be called at *any* time, even when a configfs
+ * subsystem isn't registered, or when configfs is loading or unloading.
+ * Just like configfs_register_subsystem().  So we take the same
+ * precautions.  We pin the filesystem.  We lock each i_mutex _in_order_
+ * on our way down the tree.  If we can find the target item in the
+ * configfs tree, it must be part of the subsystem tree as well, so we
+ * do not need the subsystem semaphore.  Holding the i_mutex chain locks
+ * out mkdir() and rmdir(), who might be racing us.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * configfs_depend_prep()
+ *
+ * Only subdirectories count here.  Files (CONFIGFS_NOT_PINNED) are
+ * attributes.  This is similar but not the same to configfs_detach_prep().
+ * Note that configfs_detach_prep() expects the parent to be locked when it
+ * is called, but we lock the parent *inside* configfs_depend_prep().  We
+ * do that so we can unlock it if we find nothing.
+ *
+ * Here we do a depth-first search of the dentry hierarchy looking for
+ * our object.  We take i_mutex on each step of the way down.  IT IS
+ * ESSENTIAL THAT i_mutex LOCKING IS ORDERED.  If we come back up a branch,
+ * we'll drop the i_mutex.
+ *
+ * If the target is not found, -ENOENT is bubbled up and we have released
+ * all locks.  If the target was found, the locks will be cleared by
+ * configfs_depend_rollback().
+ *
+ * This adds a requirement that all config_items be unique!
+ *
+ * This is recursive because the locking traversal is tricky.  There isn't
+ * much on the stack, though, so folks that need this function - be careful
+ * about your stack!  Patches will be accepted to make it iterative.
+ */
+static int configfs_depend_prep(struct dentry *origin,
+				struct config_item *target)
+{
+	struct configfs_dirent *child_sd, *sd = origin->d_fsdata;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	BUG_ON(!origin || !sd);
+
+	/* Lock this guy on the way down */
+	mutex_lock(&sd->s_dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
+	if (sd->s_element == target)  /* Boo-yah */
+		goto out;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(child_sd, &sd->s_children, s_sibling) {
+		if (child_sd->s_type & CONFIGFS_DIR) {
+			ret = configfs_depend_prep(child_sd->s_dentry,
+						   target);
+			if (!ret)
+				goto out;  /* Child path boo-yah */
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* We looped all our children and didn't find target */
+	mutex_unlock(&sd->s_dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
+	ret = -ENOENT;
+
+out:
+	return ret;
+}
+
+/*
+ * This is ONLY called if configfs_depend_prep() did its job.  So we can
+ * trust the entire path from item back up to origin.
+ *
+ * We walk backwards from item, unlocking each i_mutex.  We finish by
+ * unlocking origin.
+ */
+static void configfs_depend_rollback(struct dentry *origin,
+				     struct config_item *item)
+{
+	struct dentry *dentry = item->ci_dentry;
+
+	while (dentry != origin) {
+		mutex_unlock(&dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
+		dentry = dentry->d_parent;
+	}
+
+	mutex_unlock(&origin->d_inode->i_mutex);
+}
+
+int configfs_depend_item(struct configfs_subsystem *subsys,
+			 struct config_item *target)
+{
+	int ret;
+	struct configfs_dirent *p, *root_sd, *subsys_sd = NULL;
+	struct config_item *s_item = &subsys->su_group.cg_item;
+
+	/*
+	 * Pin the configfs filesystem.  This means we can safely access
+	 * the root of the configfs filesystem.
+	 */
+	ret = configfs_pin_fs();
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	/*
+	 * Next, lock the root directory.  We're going to check that the
+	 * subsystem is really registered, and so we need to lock out
+	 * configfs_[un]register_subsystem().
+	 */
+	mutex_lock(&configfs_sb->s_root->d_inode->i_mutex);
+
+	root_sd = configfs_sb->s_root->d_fsdata;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(p, &root_sd->s_children, s_sibling) {
+		if (p->s_type & CONFIGFS_DIR) {
+			if (p->s_element == s_item) {
+				subsys_sd = p;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!subsys_sd) {
+		ret = -ENOENT;
+		goto out_unlock_fs;
+	}
+
+	/* Ok, now we can trust subsys/s_item */
+
+	/* Scan the tree, locking i_mutex recursively, return 0 if found */
+	ret = configfs_depend_prep(subsys_sd->s_dentry, target);
+	if (ret)
+		goto out_unlock_fs;
+
+	/* We hold all i_mutexes from the subsystem down to the target */
+	p = target->ci_dentry->d_fsdata;
+	p->s_dependent_count += 1;
+
+	configfs_depend_rollback(subsys_sd->s_dentry, target);
+
+out_unlock_fs:
+	mutex_unlock(&configfs_sb->s_root->d_inode->i_mutex);
+
+	/*
+	 * If we succeeded, the fs is pinned via other methods.  If not,
+	 * we're done with it anyway.  So release_fs() is always right.
+	 */
+	configfs_release_fs();
+
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(configfs_depend_item);
+
+/*
+ * Release the dependent linkage.  This is much simpler than
+ * configfs_depend_item() because we know that that the client driver is
+ * pinned, thus the subsystem is pinned, and therefore configfs is pinned.
+ */
+void configfs_undepend_item(struct configfs_subsystem *subsys,
+			    struct config_item *target)
+{
+	struct configfs_dirent *sd;
+
+	/*
+	 * Since we can trust everything is pinned, we just need i_mutex
+	 * on the item.
+	 */
+	mutex_lock(&target->ci_dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
+
+	sd = target->ci_dentry->d_fsdata;
+	BUG_ON(sd->s_dependent_count < 1);
+
+	sd->s_dependent_count -= 1;
+
+	/*
+	 * After this unlock, we cannot trust the item to stay alive!
+	 * DO NOT REFERENCE item after this unlock.
+	 */
+	mutex_unlock(&target->ci_dentry->d_inode->i_mutex);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(configfs_undepend_item);
 
 static int configfs_mkdir(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry, int mode)
 {
@@ -906,6 +1143,13 @@ static int configfs_rmdir(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 	if (sd->s_type & CONFIGFS_USET_DEFAULT)
 		return -EPERM;
 
+	/*
+	 * Here's where we check for dependents.  We're protected by
+	 * i_mutex.
+	 */
+	if (sd->s_dependent_count)
+		return -EBUSY;
+
 	/* Get a working ref until we have the child */
 	parent_item = configfs_get_config_item(dentry->d_parent);
 	subsys = to_config_group(parent_item)->cg_subsys;
diff --git a/include/linux/configfs.h b/include/linux/configfs.h
index 8227e730dac7..8c6967f3fb11 100644
--- a/include/linux/configfs.h
+++ b/include/linux/configfs.h
@@ -188,6 +188,11 @@ static inline struct configfs_subsystem *to_configfs_subsystem(struct config_gro
 int configfs_register_subsystem(struct configfs_subsystem *subsys);
 void configfs_unregister_subsystem(struct configfs_subsystem *subsys);
 
+/* These functions can sleep and can alloc with GFP_KERNEL */
+/* WARNING: These cannot be called underneath configfs callbacks!! */
+int configfs_depend_item(struct configfs_subsystem *subsys, struct config_item *target);
+void configfs_undepend_item(struct configfs_subsystem *subsys, struct config_item *target);
+
 #endif  /* __KERNEL__ */
 
 #endif /* _CONFIGFS_H_ */