diff --git a/fs/generic_acl.c b/fs/generic_acl.c
index 628004282130..06c48a891832 100644
--- a/fs/generic_acl.c
+++ b/fs/generic_acl.c
@@ -192,16 +192,18 @@ generic_acl_chmod(struct inode *inode)
 int
 generic_check_acl(struct inode *inode, int mask, unsigned int flags)
 {
-	struct posix_acl *acl;
+	if (flags & IPERM_FLAG_RCU) {
+		if (!negative_cached_acl(inode, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS))
+			return -ECHILD;
+	} else {
+		struct posix_acl *acl;
 
-	if (flags & IPERM_FLAG_RCU)
-		return -ECHILD;
-
-	acl = get_cached_acl(inode, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS);
-	if (acl) {
-		int error = posix_acl_permission(inode, acl, mask);
-		posix_acl_release(acl);
-		return error;
+		acl = get_cached_acl(inode, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS);
+		if (acl) {
+			int error = posix_acl_permission(inode, acl, mask);
+			posix_acl_release(acl);
+			return error;
+		}
 	}
 	return -EAGAIN;
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/posix_acl.h b/include/linux/posix_acl.h
index 67608161df6b..d68283a898bb 100644
--- a/include/linux/posix_acl.h
+++ b/include/linux/posix_acl.h
@@ -108,6 +108,25 @@ static inline struct posix_acl *get_cached_acl(struct inode *inode, int type)
 	return acl;
 }
 
+static inline int negative_cached_acl(struct inode *inode, int type)
+{
+	struct posix_acl **p, *acl;
+	switch (type) {
+	case ACL_TYPE_ACCESS:
+		p = &inode->i_acl;
+		break;
+	case ACL_TYPE_DEFAULT:
+		p = &inode->i_default_acl;
+		break;
+	default:
+		BUG();
+	}
+	acl = ACCESS_ONCE(*p);
+	if (acl)
+		return 0;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 static inline void set_cached_acl(struct inode *inode,
 				  int type,
 				  struct posix_acl *acl)