diff --git a/fs/nfs_common/nfslocalio.c b/fs/nfs_common/nfslocalio.c
index f0bff023bb5e..f61761ad19b1 100644
--- a/fs/nfs_common/nfslocalio.c
+++ b/fs/nfs_common/nfslocalio.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ void nfs_uuid_is_local(const uuid_t *uuid, struct list_head *list,
 		 * invalidated.
 		 */
 		list_move(&nfs_uuid->list, list);
-		nfs_uuid->net = net;
+		rcu_assign_pointer(nfs_uuid->net, net);
 
 		__module_get(mod);
 		nfsd_mod = mod;
@@ -114,3 +114,26 @@ void nfs_uuid_invalidate_one_client(nfs_uuid_t *nfs_uuid)
 	}
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nfs_uuid_invalidate_one_client);
+
+/*
+ * The NFS LOCALIO code needs to call into NFSD using various symbols,
+ * but cannot be statically linked, because that will make the NFS
+ * module always depend on the NFSD module.
+ *
+ * 'nfs_to' provides NFS access to NFSD functions needed for LOCALIO,
+ * its lifetime is tightly coupled to the NFSD module and will always
+ * be available to NFS LOCALIO because any successful client<->server
+ * LOCALIO handshake results in a reference on the NFSD module (above),
+ * so NFS implicitly holds a reference to the NFSD module and its
+ * functions in the 'nfs_to' nfsd_localio_operations cannot disappear.
+ *
+ * If the last NFS client using LOCALIO disconnects (and its reference
+ * on NFSD dropped) then NFSD could be unloaded, resulting in 'nfs_to'
+ * functions being invalid pointers. But if NFSD isn't loaded then NFS
+ * will not be able to handshake with NFSD and will have no cause to
+ * try to call 'nfs_to' function pointers. If/when NFSD is reloaded it
+ * will reinitialize the 'nfs_to' function pointers and make LOCALIO
+ * possible.
+ */
+const struct nfsd_localio_operations *nfs_to;
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nfs_to);
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/filecache.c b/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
index 2dc72de31f61..8253e437acb7 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/filecache.c
@@ -390,6 +390,34 @@ nfsd_file_put(struct nfsd_file *nf)
 		nfsd_file_free(nf);
 }
 
+/**
+ * nfsd_file_put_local - put the reference to nfsd_file and local nfsd_serv
+ * @nf: nfsd_file of which to put the references
+ *
+ * First put the reference of the nfsd_file and then put the
+ * reference to the associated nn->nfsd_serv.
+ */
+void
+nfsd_file_put_local(struct nfsd_file *nf)
+{
+	struct net *net = nf->nf_net;
+
+	nfsd_file_put(nf);
+	nfsd_serv_put(net);
+}
+
+/**
+ * nfsd_file_file - get the backing file of an nfsd_file
+ * @nf: nfsd_file of which to access the backing file.
+ *
+ * Return backing file for @nf.
+ */
+struct file *
+nfsd_file_file(struct nfsd_file *nf)
+{
+	return nf->nf_file;
+}
+
 static void
 nfsd_file_dispose_list(struct list_head *dispose)
 {
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/filecache.h b/fs/nfsd/filecache.h
index 26ada78b8c1e..cadf3c2689c4 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/filecache.h
+++ b/fs/nfsd/filecache.h
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ void nfsd_file_cache_shutdown(void);
 int nfsd_file_cache_start_net(struct net *net);
 void nfsd_file_cache_shutdown_net(struct net *net);
 void nfsd_file_put(struct nfsd_file *nf);
+void nfsd_file_put_local(struct nfsd_file *nf);
 struct nfsd_file *nfsd_file_get(struct nfsd_file *nf);
+struct file *nfsd_file_file(struct nfsd_file *nf);
 void nfsd_file_close_inode_sync(struct inode *inode);
 void nfsd_file_net_dispose(struct nfsd_net *nn);
 bool nfsd_file_is_cached(struct inode *inode);
diff --git a/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c b/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
index fa34de5e59bd..f9a6d888ac9d 100644
--- a/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
+++ b/fs/nfsd/nfssvc.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <linux/sunrpc/svc_xprt.h>
 #include <linux/lockd/bind.h>
 #include <linux/nfsacl.h>
+#include <linux/nfslocalio.h>
 #include <linux/seq_file.h>
 #include <linux/inetdevice.h>
 #include <net/addrconf.h>
diff --git a/include/linux/nfslocalio.h b/include/linux/nfslocalio.h
index 4165ff8390c1..1a39d7d727bd 100644
--- a/include/linux/nfslocalio.h
+++ b/include/linux/nfslocalio.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/uuid.h>
+#include <linux/sunrpc/clnt.h>
 #include <linux/sunrpc/svcauth.h>
 #include <linux/nfs.h>
 #include <net/net_namespace.h>
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@
 typedef struct {
 	uuid_t uuid;
 	struct list_head list;
-	struct net *net; /* nfsd's network namespace */
+	struct net __rcu *net; /* nfsd's network namespace */
 	struct auth_domain *dom; /* auth_domain for localio */
 } nfs_uuid_t;
 
@@ -33,4 +34,28 @@ void nfs_uuid_is_local(const uuid_t *, struct list_head *,
 void nfs_uuid_invalidate_clients(struct list_head *list);
 void nfs_uuid_invalidate_one_client(nfs_uuid_t *nfs_uuid);
 
+struct nfsd_file;
+
+/* localio needs to map filehandle -> struct nfsd_file */
+extern struct nfsd_file *
+nfsd_open_local_fh(struct net *, struct auth_domain *, struct rpc_clnt *,
+		   const struct cred *, const struct nfs_fh *,
+		   const fmode_t) __must_hold(rcu);
+
+struct nfsd_localio_operations {
+	bool (*nfsd_serv_try_get)(struct net *);
+	void (*nfsd_serv_put)(struct net *);
+	struct nfsd_file *(*nfsd_open_local_fh)(struct net *,
+						struct auth_domain *,
+						struct rpc_clnt *,
+						const struct cred *,
+						const struct nfs_fh *,
+						const fmode_t);
+	void (*nfsd_file_put_local)(struct nfsd_file *);
+	struct file *(*nfsd_file_file)(struct nfsd_file *);
+} ____cacheline_aligned;
+
+extern void nfsd_localio_ops_init(void);
+extern const struct nfsd_localio_operations *nfs_to;
+
 #endif  /* __LINUX_NFSLOCALIO_H */
