diff --git a/drivers/net/ovpn/Makefile b/drivers/net/ovpn/Makefile
index ce13499b3e17..56bddc9bef83 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ovpn/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/net/ovpn/Makefile
@@ -13,3 +13,5 @@ ovpn-y += io.o
 ovpn-y += netlink.o
 ovpn-y += netlink-gen.o
 ovpn-y += peer.o
+ovpn-y += socket.o
+ovpn-y += udp.o
diff --git a/drivers/net/ovpn/socket.c b/drivers/net/ovpn/socket.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a4a4d69162f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/net/ovpn/socket.c
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+/*  OpenVPN data channel offload
+ *
+ *  Copyright (C) 2020-2024 OpenVPN, Inc.
+ *
+ *  Author:	James Yonan <james@openvpn.net>
+ *		Antonio Quartulli <antonio@openvpn.net>
+ */
+
+#include <linux/net.h>
+#include <linux/netdevice.h>
+
+#include "ovpnstruct.h"
+#include "main.h"
+#include "io.h"
+#include "peer.h"
+#include "socket.h"
+#include "udp.h"
+
+/* Finalize release of socket, called after RCU grace period */
+static void ovpn_socket_detach(struct socket *sock)
+{
+	if (!sock)
+		return;
+
+	sockfd_put(sock);
+}
+
+void ovpn_socket_release_kref(struct kref *kref)
+{
+	struct ovpn_socket *sock = container_of(kref, struct ovpn_socket,
+						refcount);
+
+	ovpn_socket_detach(sock->sock);
+	kfree_rcu(sock, rcu);
+}
+
+static bool ovpn_socket_hold(struct ovpn_socket *sock)
+{
+	return kref_get_unless_zero(&sock->refcount);
+}
+
+static struct ovpn_socket *ovpn_socket_get(struct socket *sock)
+{
+	struct ovpn_socket *ovpn_sock;
+
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	ovpn_sock = rcu_dereference_sk_user_data(sock->sk);
+	if (!ovpn_socket_hold(ovpn_sock)) {
+		pr_warn("%s: found ovpn_socket with ref = 0\n", __func__);
+		ovpn_sock = NULL;
+	}
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+
+	return ovpn_sock;
+}
+
+/* Finalize release of socket, called after RCU grace period */
+static int ovpn_socket_attach(struct socket *sock, struct ovpn_peer *peer)
+{
+	int ret = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+
+	if (!sock || !peer)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (sock->sk->sk_protocol == IPPROTO_UDP)
+		ret = ovpn_udp_socket_attach(sock, peer->ovpn);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
+struct ovpn_socket *ovpn_socket_new(struct socket *sock, struct ovpn_peer *peer)
+{
+	struct ovpn_socket *ovpn_sock;
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = ovpn_socket_attach(sock, peer);
+	if (ret < 0 && ret != -EALREADY)
+		return ERR_PTR(ret);
+
+	/* if this socket is already owned by this interface, just increase the
+	 * refcounter
+	 */
+	if (ret == -EALREADY) {
+		/* caller is expected to increase the sock refcounter before
+		 * passing it to this function. For this reason we drop it if
+		 * not needed, like when this socket is already owned.
+		 */
+		ovpn_sock = ovpn_socket_get(sock);
+		sockfd_put(sock);
+		return ovpn_sock;
+	}
+
+	ovpn_sock = kzalloc(sizeof(*ovpn_sock), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!ovpn_sock)
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+
+	ovpn_sock->ovpn = peer->ovpn;
+	ovpn_sock->sock = sock;
+	kref_init(&ovpn_sock->refcount);
+
+	rcu_assign_sk_user_data(sock->sk, ovpn_sock);
+
+	return ovpn_sock;
+}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ovpn/socket.h b/drivers/net/ovpn/socket.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0d23de5a9344
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/net/ovpn/socket.h
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only */
+/*  OpenVPN data channel offload
+ *
+ *  Copyright (C) 2020-2024 OpenVPN, Inc.
+ *
+ *  Author:	James Yonan <james@openvpn.net>
+ *		Antonio Quartulli <antonio@openvpn.net>
+ */
+
+#ifndef _NET_OVPN_SOCK_H_
+#define _NET_OVPN_SOCK_H_
+
+#include <linux/net.h>
+#include <linux/kref.h>
+#include <linux/ptr_ring.h>
+#include <net/sock.h>
+
+struct ovpn_struct;
+struct ovpn_peer;
+
+/**
+ * struct ovpn_socket - a kernel socket referenced in the ovpn code
+ * @ovpn: ovpn instance owning this socket (UDP only)
+ * @sock: the low level sock object
+ * @refcount: amount of contexts currently referencing this object
+ * @rcu: member used to schedule RCU destructor callback
+ */
+struct ovpn_socket {
+	struct ovpn_struct *ovpn;
+	struct socket *sock;
+	struct kref refcount;
+	struct rcu_head rcu;
+};
+
+/**
+ * ovpn_from_udp_sock - retrieve ovpn instance object from UDP sock
+ * @sk: the sock to retrieve the instance from
+ *
+ * Return: the ovpn instance that this sock is bound to
+ */
+struct ovpn_struct *ovpn_from_udp_sock(struct sock *sk);
+
+/**
+ * ovpn_socket_release_kref - kref_put callback
+ * @kref: the kref object
+ */
+void ovpn_socket_release_kref(struct kref *kref);
+
+/**
+ * ovpn_socket_put - decrease reference counter
+ * @sock: the socket whose reference counter should be decreased
+ */
+static inline void ovpn_socket_put(struct ovpn_socket *sock)
+{
+	kref_put(&sock->refcount, ovpn_socket_release_kref);
+}
+
+/**
+ * ovpn_socket_new - create a new socket and initialize it
+ * @sock: the kernel socket to embed
+ * @peer: the peer reachable via this socket
+ *
+ * Return: an openvpn socket on success or a negative error code otherwise
+ */
+struct ovpn_socket *ovpn_socket_new(struct socket *sock,
+				    struct ovpn_peer *peer);
+
+#endif /* _NET_OVPN_SOCK_H_ */
diff --git a/drivers/net/ovpn/udp.c b/drivers/net/ovpn/udp.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4b7d96a13df0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/net/ovpn/udp.c
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+/*  OpenVPN data channel offload
+ *
+ *  Copyright (C) 2019-2024 OpenVPN, Inc.
+ *
+ *  Author:	Antonio Quartulli <antonio@openvpn.net>
+ */
+
+#include <linux/netdevice.h>
+#include <linux/socket.h>
+
+#include "ovpnstruct.h"
+#include "main.h"
+#include "socket.h"
+#include "udp.h"
+
+int ovpn_udp_socket_attach(struct socket *sock, struct ovpn_struct *ovpn)
+{
+	struct ovpn_socket *old_data;
+
+	/* sanity check */
+	if (sock->sk->sk_protocol != IPPROTO_UDP) {
+		netdev_err(ovpn->dev, "%s: expected UDP socket\n", __func__);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	/* make sure no pre-existing encapsulation handler exists */
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	old_data = rcu_dereference_sk_user_data(sock->sk);
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+	if (old_data) {
+		if (old_data->ovpn == ovpn) {
+			netdev_dbg(ovpn->dev,
+				   "%s: provided socket already owned by this interface\n",
+				   __func__);
+			return -EALREADY;
+		}
+
+		netdev_err(ovpn->dev, "%s: provided socket already taken by other user\n",
+			   __func__);
+		return -EBUSY;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ovpn/udp.h b/drivers/net/ovpn/udp.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..16422a649cb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/net/ovpn/udp.h
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only */
+/*  OpenVPN data channel offload
+ *
+ *  Copyright (C) 2019-2024 OpenVPN, Inc.
+ *
+ *  Author:	Antonio Quartulli <antonio@openvpn.net>
+ */
+
+#ifndef _NET_OVPN_UDP_H_
+#define _NET_OVPN_UDP_H_
+
+struct ovpn_struct;
+struct socket;
+
+/**
+ * ovpn_udp_socket_attach - set udp-tunnel CBs on socket and link it to ovpn
+ * @sock: socket to configure
+ * @ovpn: the openvp instance to link
+ *
+ * After invoking this function, the sock will be controlled by ovpn so that
+ * any incoming packet may be processed by ovpn first.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success or a negative error code otherwise
+ */
+int ovpn_udp_socket_attach(struct socket *sock, struct ovpn_struct *ovpn);
+
+#endif /* _NET_OVPN_UDP_H_ */
