diff --git a/fs/nsfs.c b/fs/nsfs.c
index 8c9fb29c6673..5d534763c662 100644
--- a/fs/nsfs.c
+++ b/fs/nsfs.c
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ static long ns_ioctl(struct file *filp, unsigned int ioctl,
 		if (!ns->ops->get_parent)
 			return -EINVAL;
 		return open_related_ns(ns, ns->ops->get_parent);
+	case NS_GET_NSTYPE:
+		return ns->ops->type;
 	default:
 		return -ENOTTY;
 	}
diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/nsfs.h b/include/uapi/linux/nsfs.h
index 3af617230d1b..2b48df11056a 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/nsfs.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/nsfs.h
@@ -9,5 +9,8 @@
 #define NS_GET_USERNS	_IO(NSIO, 0x1)
 /* Returns a file descriptor that refers to a parent namespace */
 #define NS_GET_PARENT	_IO(NSIO, 0x2)
+/* Returns the type of namespace (CLONE_NEW* value) referred to by
+   file descriptor */
+#define NS_GET_NSTYPE	_IO(NSIO, 0x3)
 
 #endif /* __LINUX_NSFS_H */