diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/inode.c b/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
index 12553274eae7..7c7092aaf9b4 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/inode.c
@@ -883,6 +883,9 @@ struct inode *ovl_get_inode(struct super_block *sb,
 
 	OVL_I(inode)->redirect = oip->redirect;
 
+	if (bylower)
+		ovl_set_flag(OVL_CONST_INO, inode);
+
 	/* Check for non-merge dir that may have whiteouts */
 	if (is_dir) {
 		if (((upperdentry && lowerdentry) || oip->numlower > 1) ||
diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
index 99f793904801..a6b466b30f2b 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/overlayfs.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ enum ovl_inode_flag {
 	OVL_WHITEOUTS,
 	OVL_INDEX,
 	OVL_UPPERDATA,
+	/* Inode number will remain constant over copy up. */
+	OVL_CONST_INO,
 };
 
 enum ovl_entry_flag {