diff --git a/fs/io_uring.c b/fs/io_uring.c
index 405be10da73d..040e6c11ff37 100644
--- a/fs/io_uring.c
+++ b/fs/io_uring.c
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ struct io_kiocb {
 #define REQ_F_TIMEOUT_NOSEQ	8192	/* no timeout sequence */
 #define REQ_F_INFLIGHT		16384	/* on inflight list */
 #define REQ_F_COMP_LOCKED	32768	/* completion under lock */
+#define REQ_F_HARDLINK		65536	/* doesn't sever on completion < 0 */
 	u64			user_data;
 	u32			result;
 	u32			sequence;
@@ -1292,6 +1293,12 @@ static void kiocb_end_write(struct io_kiocb *req)
 	file_end_write(req->file);
 }
 
+static inline void req_set_fail_links(struct io_kiocb *req)
+{
+	if ((req->flags & (REQ_F_LINK | REQ_F_HARDLINK)) == REQ_F_LINK)
+		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+}
+
 static void io_complete_rw_common(struct kiocb *kiocb, long res)
 {
 	struct io_kiocb *req = container_of(kiocb, struct io_kiocb, rw);
@@ -1299,8 +1306,8 @@ static void io_complete_rw_common(struct kiocb *kiocb, long res)
 	if (kiocb->ki_flags & IOCB_WRITE)
 		kiocb_end_write(req);
 
-	if ((req->flags & REQ_F_LINK) && res != req->result)
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (res != req->result)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_cqring_add_event(req, res);
 }
 
@@ -1330,8 +1337,8 @@ static void io_complete_rw_iopoll(struct kiocb *kiocb, long res, long res2)
 	if (kiocb->ki_flags & IOCB_WRITE)
 		kiocb_end_write(req);
 
-	if ((req->flags & REQ_F_LINK) && res != req->result)
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (res != req->result)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	req->result = res;
 	if (res != -EAGAIN)
 		req->flags |= REQ_F_IOPOLL_COMPLETED;
@@ -1956,8 +1963,8 @@ static int io_fsync(struct io_kiocb *req, const struct io_uring_sqe *sqe,
 				end > 0 ? end : LLONG_MAX,
 				fsync_flags & IORING_FSYNC_DATASYNC);
 
-	if (ret < 0 && (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK))
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
 	io_put_req_find_next(req, nxt);
 	return 0;
@@ -2003,8 +2010,8 @@ static int io_sync_file_range(struct io_kiocb *req,
 
 	ret = sync_file_range(req->rw.ki_filp, sqe_off, sqe_len, flags);
 
-	if (ret < 0 && (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK))
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
 	io_put_req_find_next(req, nxt);
 	return 0;
@@ -2079,8 +2086,8 @@ static int io_sendmsg(struct io_kiocb *req, const struct io_uring_sqe *sqe,
 
 out:
 	io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
-	if (ret < 0 && (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK))
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_put_req_find_next(req, nxt);
 	return 0;
 #else
@@ -2161,8 +2168,8 @@ static int io_recvmsg(struct io_kiocb *req, const struct io_uring_sqe *sqe,
 
 out:
 	io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
-	if (ret < 0 && (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK))
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_put_req_find_next(req, nxt);
 	return 0;
 #else
@@ -2196,8 +2203,8 @@ static int io_accept(struct io_kiocb *req, const struct io_uring_sqe *sqe,
 	}
 	if (ret == -ERESTARTSYS)
 		ret = -EINTR;
-	if (ret < 0 && (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK))
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
 	io_put_req_find_next(req, nxt);
 	return 0;
@@ -2263,8 +2270,8 @@ static int io_connect(struct io_kiocb *req, const struct io_uring_sqe *sqe,
 	if (ret == -ERESTARTSYS)
 		ret = -EINTR;
 out:
-	if (ret < 0 && (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK))
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
 	io_put_req_find_next(req, nxt);
 	return 0;
@@ -2340,8 +2347,8 @@ static int io_poll_remove(struct io_kiocb *req, const struct io_uring_sqe *sqe)
 	spin_unlock_irq(&ctx->completion_lock);
 
 	io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
-	if (ret < 0 && (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK))
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_put_req(req);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -2399,8 +2406,8 @@ static void io_poll_complete_work(struct io_wq_work **workptr)
 
 	io_cqring_ev_posted(ctx);
 
-	if (ret < 0 && req->flags & REQ_F_LINK)
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_put_req_find_next(req, &nxt);
 	if (nxt)
 		*workptr = &nxt->work;
@@ -2582,8 +2589,7 @@ static enum hrtimer_restart io_timeout_fn(struct hrtimer *timer)
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ctx->completion_lock, flags);
 
 	io_cqring_ev_posted(ctx);
-	if (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK)
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_put_req(req);
 	return HRTIMER_NORESTART;
 }
@@ -2608,8 +2614,7 @@ static int io_timeout_cancel(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx, __u64 user_data)
 	if (ret == -1)
 		return -EALREADY;
 
-	if (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK)
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_cqring_fill_event(req, -ECANCELED);
 	io_put_req(req);
 	return 0;
@@ -2640,8 +2645,8 @@ static int io_timeout_remove(struct io_kiocb *req,
 	io_commit_cqring(ctx);
 	spin_unlock_irq(&ctx->completion_lock);
 	io_cqring_ev_posted(ctx);
-	if (ret < 0 && req->flags & REQ_F_LINK)
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_put_req(req);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -2822,8 +2827,8 @@ done:
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ctx->completion_lock, flags);
 	io_cqring_ev_posted(ctx);
 
-	if (ret < 0 && (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK))
-		req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 	io_put_req_find_next(req, nxt);
 }
 
@@ -3044,8 +3049,7 @@ static void io_wq_submit_work(struct io_wq_work **workptr)
 	io_put_req(req);
 
 	if (ret) {
-		if (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK)
-			req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 		io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
 		io_put_req(req);
 	}
@@ -3179,8 +3183,7 @@ static enum hrtimer_restart io_link_timeout_fn(struct hrtimer *timer)
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ctx->completion_lock, flags);
 
 	if (prev) {
-		if (prev->flags & REQ_F_LINK)
-			prev->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+		req_set_fail_links(prev);
 		io_async_find_and_cancel(ctx, req, prev->user_data, NULL,
 						-ETIME);
 		io_put_req(prev);
@@ -3273,8 +3276,7 @@ err:
 	/* and drop final reference, if we failed */
 	if (ret) {
 		io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
-		if (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK)
-			req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+		req_set_fail_links(req);
 		io_put_req(req);
 	}
 }
@@ -3293,8 +3295,7 @@ static void io_queue_sqe(struct io_kiocb *req)
 	if (ret) {
 		if (ret != -EIOCBQUEUED) {
 			io_cqring_add_event(req, ret);
-			if (req->flags & REQ_F_LINK)
-				req->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
+			req_set_fail_links(req);
 			io_double_put_req(req);
 		}
 	} else
@@ -3311,7 +3312,8 @@ static inline void io_queue_link_head(struct io_kiocb *req)
 }
 
 
-#define SQE_VALID_FLAGS	(IOSQE_FIXED_FILE|IOSQE_IO_DRAIN|IOSQE_IO_LINK)
+#define SQE_VALID_FLAGS	(IOSQE_FIXED_FILE|IOSQE_IO_DRAIN|IOSQE_IO_LINK|	\
+				IOSQE_IO_HARDLINK)
 
 static bool io_submit_sqe(struct io_kiocb *req, struct io_submit_state *state,
 			  struct io_kiocb **link)
@@ -3349,6 +3351,9 @@ err_req:
 		if (req->sqe->flags & IOSQE_IO_DRAIN)
 			(*link)->flags |= REQ_F_DRAIN_LINK | REQ_F_IO_DRAIN;
 
+		if (req->sqe->flags & IOSQE_IO_HARDLINK)
+			req->flags |= REQ_F_HARDLINK;
+
 		io = kmalloc(sizeof(*io), GFP_KERNEL);
 		if (!io) {
 			ret = -EAGAIN;
@@ -3358,13 +3363,16 @@ err_req:
 		ret = io_req_defer_prep(req, io);
 		if (ret) {
 			kfree(io);
+			/* fail even hard links since we don't submit */
 			prev->flags |= REQ_F_FAIL_LINK;
 			goto err_req;
 		}
 		trace_io_uring_link(ctx, req, prev);
 		list_add_tail(&req->link_list, &prev->link_list);
-	} else if (req->sqe->flags & IOSQE_IO_LINK) {
+	} else if (req->sqe->flags & (IOSQE_IO_LINK|IOSQE_IO_HARDLINK)) {
 		req->flags |= REQ_F_LINK;
+		if (req->sqe->flags & IOSQE_IO_HARDLINK)
+			req->flags |= REQ_F_HARDLINK;
 
 		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&req->link_list);
 		*link = req;
diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/io_uring.h b/include/uapi/linux/io_uring.h
index eabccb46edd1..ea231366f5fd 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/io_uring.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/io_uring.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ struct io_uring_sqe {
 #define IOSQE_FIXED_FILE	(1U << 0)	/* use fixed fileset */
 #define IOSQE_IO_DRAIN		(1U << 1)	/* issue after inflight IO */
 #define IOSQE_IO_LINK		(1U << 2)	/* links next sqe */
+#define IOSQE_IO_HARDLINK	(1U << 3)	/* like LINK, but stronger */
 
 /*
  * io_uring_setup() flags