diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
index d23467976725454aa3106cfe83810216c8e5d9af..aa3c62a4e4624bdcdc958814f530014c782eddbb 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/copy_up.c
@@ -761,21 +761,7 @@ int ovl_copy_up_flags(struct dentry *dentry, int flags)
 		struct dentry *next;
 		struct dentry *parent = NULL;
 
-		/*
-		 * Check if copy-up has happened as well as for upper alias (in
-		 * case of hard links) is there.
-		 *
-		 * Both checks are lockless:
-		 *  - false negatives: will recheck under oi->lock
-		 *  - false positives:
-		 *    + ovl_dentry_upper() uses memory barriers to ensure the
-		 *      upper dentry is up-to-date
-		 *    + ovl_dentry_has_upper_alias() relies on locking of
-		 *      upper parent i_rwsem to prevent reordering copy-up
-		 *      with rename.
-		 */
-		if (ovl_dentry_upper(dentry) &&
-		    (ovl_dentry_has_upper_alias(dentry) || disconnected))
+		if (ovl_already_copied_up(dentry))
 			break;
 
 		next = dget(dentry);
@@ -803,9 +789,7 @@ int ovl_copy_up_flags(struct dentry *dentry, int flags)
 static bool ovl_open_need_copy_up(struct dentry *dentry, int flags)
 {
 	/* Copy up of disconnected dentry does not set upper alias */
-	if (ovl_dentry_upper(dentry) &&
-	    (ovl_dentry_has_upper_alias(dentry) ||
-	     (dentry->d_flags & DCACHE_DISCONNECTED)))
+	if (ovl_already_copied_up(dentry))
 		return false;
 
 	if (special_file(d_inode(dentry)->i_mode))
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
index c0318b5a50f09750af67bab23426296fbec281b6..206e588df095a81e72c16fdbc23fd50f7be38a9d 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ bool ovl_is_whiteout(struct dentry *dentry);
 struct file *ovl_path_open(struct path *path, int flags);
 int ovl_copy_up_start(struct dentry *dentry);
 void ovl_copy_up_end(struct dentry *dentry);
+bool ovl_already_copied_up(struct dentry *dentry);
 bool ovl_check_origin_xattr(struct dentry *dentry);
 bool ovl_check_dir_xattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *name);
 int ovl_check_setxattr(struct dentry *dentry, struct dentry *upperdentry,
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/util.c b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
index 25d202b473262274468906dd9d547599ed594152..43235294e77bd5f41302bf1d5effa89500103836 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/util.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
@@ -377,13 +377,37 @@ struct file *ovl_path_open(struct path *path, int flags)
 	return dentry_open(path, flags | O_NOATIME, current_cred());
 }
 
+bool ovl_already_copied_up(struct dentry *dentry)
+{
+	bool disconnected = dentry->d_flags & DCACHE_DISCONNECTED;
+
+	/*
+	 * Check if copy-up has happened as well as for upper alias (in
+	 * case of hard links) is there.
+	 *
+	 * Both checks are lockless:
+	 *  - false negatives: will recheck under oi->lock
+	 *  - false positives:
+	 *    + ovl_dentry_upper() uses memory barriers to ensure the
+	 *      upper dentry is up-to-date
+	 *    + ovl_dentry_has_upper_alias() relies on locking of
+	 *      upper parent i_rwsem to prevent reordering copy-up
+	 *      with rename.
+	 */
+	if (ovl_dentry_upper(dentry) &&
+	    (ovl_dentry_has_upper_alias(dentry) || disconnected))
+		return true;
+
+	return false;
+}
+
 int ovl_copy_up_start(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	struct ovl_inode *oi = OVL_I(d_inode(dentry));
 	int err;
 
 	err = mutex_lock_interruptible(&oi->lock);
-	if (!err && ovl_dentry_has_upper_alias(dentry)) {
+	if (!err && ovl_already_copied_up(dentry)) {
 		err = 1; /* Already copied up */
 		mutex_unlock(&oi->lock);
 	}