diff --git a/fs/file.c b/fs/file.c
index e7ad988f2298..b99b2fbe905c 100644
--- a/fs/file.c
+++ b/fs/file.c
@@ -544,6 +544,32 @@ void fd_install(unsigned int fd, struct file *file)
 
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(fd_install);
 
+/*
+ * The same warnings as for __alloc_fd()/__fd_install() apply here...
+ */
+int __close_fd(struct files_struct *files, unsigned fd)
+{
+	struct file *file;
+	struct fdtable *fdt;
+
+	spin_lock(&files->file_lock);
+	fdt = files_fdtable(files);
+	if (fd >= fdt->max_fds)
+		goto out_unlock;
+	file = fdt->fd[fd];
+	if (!file)
+		goto out_unlock;
+	rcu_assign_pointer(fdt->fd[fd], NULL);
+	__clear_close_on_exec(fd, fdt);
+	__put_unused_fd(files, fd);
+	spin_unlock(&files->file_lock);
+	return filp_close(file, files);
+
+out_unlock:
+	spin_unlock(&files->file_lock);
+	return -EBADF;
+}
+
 struct file *fget(unsigned int fd)
 {
 	struct file *file;
diff --git a/fs/open.c b/fs/open.c
index 5473ce1f5359..c195a095cf7b 100644
--- a/fs/open.c
+++ b/fs/open.c
@@ -1082,23 +1082,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(filp_close);
  */
 SYSCALL_DEFINE1(close, unsigned int, fd)
 {
-	struct file * filp;
-	struct files_struct *files = current->files;
-	struct fdtable *fdt;
-	int retval;
-
-	spin_lock(&files->file_lock);
-	fdt = files_fdtable(files);
-	if (fd >= fdt->max_fds)
-		goto out_unlock;
-	filp = fdt->fd[fd];
-	if (!filp)
-		goto out_unlock;
-	rcu_assign_pointer(fdt->fd[fd], NULL);
-	__clear_close_on_exec(fd, fdt);
-	__put_unused_fd(files, fd);
-	spin_unlock(&files->file_lock);
-	retval = filp_close(filp, files);
+	int retval = __close_fd(current->files, fd);
 
 	/* can't restart close syscall because file table entry was cleared */
 	if (unlikely(retval == -ERESTARTSYS ||
@@ -1108,10 +1092,6 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE1(close, unsigned int, fd)
 		retval = -EINTR;
 
 	return retval;
-
-out_unlock:
-	spin_unlock(&files->file_lock);
-	return -EBADF;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(sys_close);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/fdtable.h b/include/linux/fdtable.h
index a6a5c58f0807..e964ba97ec5a 100644
--- a/include/linux/fdtable.h
+++ b/include/linux/fdtable.h
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ extern int __alloc_fd(struct files_struct *files,
 		      unsigned start, unsigned end, unsigned flags);
 extern void __fd_install(struct files_struct *files,
 		      unsigned int fd, struct file *file);
+extern int __close_fd(struct files_struct *files,
+		      unsigned int fd);
 
 extern struct kmem_cache *files_cachep;