diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index a28e4db075ed..62899fad4a04 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -3954,16 +3954,18 @@ static void mntns_put(struct ns_common *ns)
 	put_mnt_ns(to_mnt_ns(ns));
 }
 
-static int mntns_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *ns)
+static int mntns_install(struct nsset *nsset, struct ns_common *ns)
 {
-	struct fs_struct *fs = current->fs;
+	struct nsproxy *nsproxy = nsset->nsproxy;
+	struct fs_struct *fs = nsset->fs;
 	struct mnt_namespace *mnt_ns = to_mnt_ns(ns), *old_mnt_ns;
+	struct user_namespace *user_ns = nsset->cred->user_ns;
 	struct path root;
 	int err;
 
 	if (!ns_capable(mnt_ns->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN) ||
-	    !ns_capable(current_user_ns(), CAP_SYS_CHROOT) ||
-	    !ns_capable(current_user_ns(), CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
+	    !ns_capable(user_ns, CAP_SYS_CHROOT) ||
+	    !ns_capable(user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;
 
 	if (is_anon_ns(mnt_ns))
diff --git a/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h b/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h
index 35942084cd40..007cfa52efb2 100644
--- a/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h
+++ b/include/linux/mnt_namespace.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 struct mnt_namespace;
 struct fs_struct;
 struct user_namespace;
+struct ns_common;
 
 extern struct mnt_namespace *copy_mnt_ns(unsigned long, struct mnt_namespace *,
 		struct user_namespace *, struct fs_struct *);
diff --git a/include/linux/nsproxy.h b/include/linux/nsproxy.h
index 074f395b9ad2..cdb171efc7cb 100644
--- a/include/linux/nsproxy.h
+++ b/include/linux/nsproxy.h
@@ -41,6 +41,30 @@ struct nsproxy {
 };
 extern struct nsproxy init_nsproxy;
 
+/*
+ * A structure to encompass all bits needed to install
+ * a partial or complete new set of namespaces.
+ *
+ * If a new user namespace is requested cred will
+ * point to a modifiable set of credentials. If a pointer
+ * to a modifiable set is needed nsset_cred() must be
+ * used and tested.
+ */
+struct nsset {
+	unsigned flags;
+	struct nsproxy *nsproxy;
+	struct fs_struct *fs;
+	const struct cred *cred;
+};
+
+static inline struct cred *nsset_cred(struct nsset *set)
+{
+	if (set->flags & CLONE_NEWUSER)
+		return (struct cred *)set->cred;
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  * the namespaces access rules are:
  *
diff --git a/include/linux/proc_ns.h b/include/linux/proc_ns.h
index 6abe85c34681..75807ecef880 100644
--- a/include/linux/proc_ns.h
+++ b/include/linux/proc_ns.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include <linux/ns_common.h>
 
 struct pid_namespace;
-struct nsproxy;
+struct nsset;
 struct path;
 struct task_struct;
 struct inode;
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ struct proc_ns_operations {
 	int type;
 	struct ns_common *(*get)(struct task_struct *task);
 	void (*put)(struct ns_common *ns);
-	int (*install)(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *ns);
+	int (*install)(struct nsset *nsset, struct ns_common *ns);
 	struct user_namespace *(*owner)(struct ns_common *ns);
 	struct ns_common *(*get_parent)(struct ns_common *ns);
 } __randomize_layout;
diff --git a/ipc/namespace.c b/ipc/namespace.c
index b3ca1476ca51..fdc3b5f3f53a 100644
--- a/ipc/namespace.c
+++ b/ipc/namespace.c
@@ -177,15 +177,14 @@ static void ipcns_put(struct ns_common *ns)
 	return put_ipc_ns(to_ipc_ns(ns));
 }
 
-static int ipcns_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *new)
+static int ipcns_install(struct nsset *nsset, struct ns_common *new)
 {
+	struct nsproxy *nsproxy = nsset->nsproxy;
 	struct ipc_namespace *ns = to_ipc_ns(new);
 	if (!ns_capable(ns->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN) ||
-	    !ns_capable(current_user_ns(), CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
+	    !ns_capable(nsset->cred->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;
 
-	/* Ditch state from the old ipc namespace */
-	exit_sem(current);
 	put_ipc_ns(nsproxy->ipc_ns);
 	nsproxy->ipc_ns = get_ipc_ns(ns);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/kernel/cgroup/namespace.c b/kernel/cgroup/namespace.c
index b05f1dd58a62..812a61afd538 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup/namespace.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup/namespace.c
@@ -95,11 +95,12 @@ static inline struct cgroup_namespace *to_cg_ns(struct ns_common *ns)
 	return container_of(ns, struct cgroup_namespace, ns);
 }
 
-static int cgroupns_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *ns)
+static int cgroupns_install(struct nsset *nsset, struct ns_common *ns)
 {
+	struct nsproxy *nsproxy = nsset->nsproxy;
 	struct cgroup_namespace *cgroup_ns = to_cg_ns(ns);
 
-	if (!ns_capable(current_user_ns(), CAP_SYS_ADMIN) ||
+	if (!ns_capable(nsset->cred->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN) ||
 	    !ns_capable(cgroup_ns->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;
 
diff --git a/kernel/nsproxy.c b/kernel/nsproxy.c
index ed9882108cd2..b7954fd60475 100644
--- a/kernel/nsproxy.c
+++ b/kernel/nsproxy.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <net/net_namespace.h>
 #include <linux/ipc_namespace.h>
 #include <linux/time_namespace.h>
+#include <linux/fs_struct.h>
 #include <linux/proc_ns.h>
 #include <linux/file.h>
 #include <linux/syscalls.h>
@@ -257,12 +258,79 @@ void exit_task_namespaces(struct task_struct *p)
 	switch_task_namespaces(p, NULL);
 }
 
+static void put_nsset(struct nsset *nsset)
+{
+	unsigned flags = nsset->flags;
+
+	if (flags & CLONE_NEWUSER)
+		put_cred(nsset_cred(nsset));
+	if (nsset->nsproxy)
+		free_nsproxy(nsset->nsproxy);
+}
+
+static int prepare_nsset(int nstype, struct nsset *nsset)
+{
+	struct task_struct *me = current;
+
+	nsset->nsproxy = create_new_namespaces(0, me, current_user_ns(), me->fs);
+	if (IS_ERR(nsset->nsproxy))
+		return PTR_ERR(nsset->nsproxy);
+
+	if (nstype == CLONE_NEWUSER)
+		nsset->cred = prepare_creds();
+	else
+		nsset->cred = current_cred();
+	if (!nsset->cred)
+		goto out;
+
+	if (nstype == CLONE_NEWNS)
+		nsset->fs = me->fs;
+
+	nsset->flags = nstype;
+	return 0;
+
+out:
+	put_nsset(nsset);
+	return -ENOMEM;
+}
+
+/*
+ * This is the point of no return. There are just a few namespaces
+ * that do some actual work here and it's sufficiently minimal that
+ * a separate ns_common operation seems unnecessary for now.
+ * Unshare is doing the same thing. If we'll end up needing to do
+ * more in a given namespace or a helper here is ultimately not
+ * exported anymore a simple commit handler for each namespace
+ * should be added to ns_common.
+ */
+static void commit_nsset(struct nsset *nsset)
+{
+	unsigned flags = nsset->flags;
+	struct task_struct *me = current;
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_USER_NS
+	if (flags & CLONE_NEWUSER) {
+		/* transfer ownership */
+		commit_creds(nsset_cred(nsset));
+		nsset->cred = NULL;
+	}
+#endif
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_IPC_NS
+	if (flags & CLONE_NEWIPC)
+		exit_sem(me);
+#endif
+
+	/* transfer ownership */
+	switch_task_namespaces(me, nsset->nsproxy);
+	nsset->nsproxy = NULL;
+}
+
 SYSCALL_DEFINE2(setns, int, fd, int, nstype)
 {
-	struct task_struct *tsk = current;
-	struct nsproxy *new_nsproxy;
 	struct file *file;
 	struct ns_common *ns;
+	struct nsset nsset = {};
 	int err;
 
 	file = proc_ns_fget(fd);
@@ -274,20 +342,16 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE2(setns, int, fd, int, nstype)
 	if (nstype && (ns->ops->type != nstype))
 		goto out;
 
-	new_nsproxy = create_new_namespaces(0, tsk, current_user_ns(), tsk->fs);
-	if (IS_ERR(new_nsproxy)) {
-		err = PTR_ERR(new_nsproxy);
+	err = prepare_nsset(ns->ops->type, &nsset);
+	if (err)
 		goto out;
-	}
 
-	err = ns->ops->install(new_nsproxy, ns);
-	if (err) {
-		free_nsproxy(new_nsproxy);
-		goto out;
+	err = ns->ops->install(&nsset, ns);
+	if (!err) {
+		commit_nsset(&nsset);
+		perf_event_namespaces(current);
 	}
-	switch_task_namespaces(tsk, new_nsproxy);
-
-	perf_event_namespaces(tsk);
+	put_nsset(&nsset);
 out:
 	fput(file);
 	return err;
diff --git a/kernel/pid_namespace.c b/kernel/pid_namespace.c
index 01f8ba32cc0c..11db2bdbb41e 100644
--- a/kernel/pid_namespace.c
+++ b/kernel/pid_namespace.c
@@ -378,13 +378,14 @@ static void pidns_put(struct ns_common *ns)
 	put_pid_ns(to_pid_ns(ns));
 }
 
-static int pidns_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *ns)
+static int pidns_install(struct nsset *nsset, struct ns_common *ns)
 {
+	struct nsproxy *nsproxy = nsset->nsproxy;
 	struct pid_namespace *active = task_active_pid_ns(current);
 	struct pid_namespace *ancestor, *new = to_pid_ns(ns);
 
 	if (!ns_capable(new->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN) ||
-	    !ns_capable(current_user_ns(), CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
+	    !ns_capable(nsset->cred->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;
 
 	/*
diff --git a/kernel/time/namespace.c b/kernel/time/namespace.c
index 53bce347cd50..5d9fc22d836a 100644
--- a/kernel/time/namespace.c
+++ b/kernel/time/namespace.c
@@ -280,8 +280,9 @@ static void timens_put(struct ns_common *ns)
 	put_time_ns(to_time_ns(ns));
 }
 
-static int timens_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *new)
+static int timens_install(struct nsset *nsset, struct ns_common *new)
 {
+	struct nsproxy *nsproxy = nsset->nsproxy;
 	struct time_namespace *ns = to_time_ns(new);
 	int err;
 
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ static int timens_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *new)
 		return -EUSERS;
 
 	if (!ns_capable(ns->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN) ||
-	    !ns_capable(current_user_ns(), CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
+	    !ns_capable(nsset->cred->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;
 
 	timens_set_vvar_page(current, ns);
diff --git a/kernel/user_namespace.c b/kernel/user_namespace.c
index 8eadadc478f9..87804e0371fe 100644
--- a/kernel/user_namespace.c
+++ b/kernel/user_namespace.c
@@ -1253,7 +1253,7 @@ static void userns_put(struct ns_common *ns)
 	put_user_ns(to_user_ns(ns));
 }
 
-static int userns_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *ns)
+static int userns_install(struct nsset *nsset, struct ns_common *ns)
 {
 	struct user_namespace *user_ns = to_user_ns(ns);
 	struct cred *cred;
@@ -1274,14 +1274,14 @@ static int userns_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *ns)
 	if (!ns_capable(user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;
 
-	cred = prepare_creds();
+	cred = nsset_cred(nsset);
 	if (!cred)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+		return -EINVAL;
 
 	put_user_ns(cred->user_ns);
 	set_cred_user_ns(cred, get_user_ns(user_ns));
 
-	return commit_creds(cred);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 struct ns_common *ns_get_owner(struct ns_common *ns)
diff --git a/kernel/utsname.c b/kernel/utsname.c
index f0e491193009..e488d0e2ab45 100644
--- a/kernel/utsname.c
+++ b/kernel/utsname.c
@@ -140,12 +140,13 @@ static void utsns_put(struct ns_common *ns)
 	put_uts_ns(to_uts_ns(ns));
 }
 
-static int utsns_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *new)
+static int utsns_install(struct nsset *nsset, struct ns_common *new)
 {
+	struct nsproxy *nsproxy = nsset->nsproxy;
 	struct uts_namespace *ns = to_uts_ns(new);
 
 	if (!ns_capable(ns->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN) ||
-	    !ns_capable(current_user_ns(), CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
+	    !ns_capable(nsset->cred->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;
 
 	get_uts_ns(ns);
diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index 190ca66a383b..dcd61aca343e 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -1353,12 +1353,13 @@ static void netns_put(struct ns_common *ns)
 	put_net(to_net_ns(ns));
 }
 
-static int netns_install(struct nsproxy *nsproxy, struct ns_common *ns)
+static int netns_install(struct nsset *nsset, struct ns_common *ns)
 {
+	struct nsproxy *nsproxy = nsset->nsproxy;
 	struct net *net = to_net_ns(ns);
 
 	if (!ns_capable(net->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN) ||
-	    !ns_capable(current_user_ns(), CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
+	    !ns_capable(nsset->cred->user_ns, CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;
 
 	put_net(nsproxy->net_ns);