diff --git a/fs/proc/base.c b/fs/proc/base.c
index 9c8ca6cd3ce4..255f6754c70d 100644
--- a/fs/proc/base.c
+++ b/fs/proc/base.c
@@ -3077,8 +3077,7 @@ static const struct file_operations proc_tgid_base_operations = {
 
 struct pid *tgid_pidfd_to_pid(const struct file *file)
 {
-	if (!d_is_dir(file->f_path.dentry) ||
-	    (file->f_op != &proc_tgid_base_operations))
+	if (file->f_op != &proc_tgid_base_operations)
 		return ERR_PTR(-EBADF);
 
 	return proc_pid(file_inode(file));
diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
index 75675b9bf6df..399aca51ff75 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -1712,31 +1712,6 @@ const struct file_operations pidfd_fops = {
 #endif
 };
 
-/**
- * pidfd_create() - Create a new pid file descriptor.
- *
- * @pid:  struct pid that the pidfd will reference
- *
- * This creates a new pid file descriptor with the O_CLOEXEC flag set.
- *
- * Note, that this function can only be called after the fd table has
- * been unshared to avoid leaking the pidfd to the new process.
- *
- * Return: On success, a cloexec pidfd is returned.
- *         On error, a negative errno number will be returned.
- */
-static int pidfd_create(struct pid *pid)
-{
-	int fd;
-
-	fd = anon_inode_getfd("[pidfd]", &pidfd_fops, get_pid(pid),
-			      O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC);
-	if (fd < 0)
-		put_pid(pid);
-
-	return fd;
-}
-
 static void __delayed_free_task(struct rcu_head *rhp)
 {
 	struct task_struct *tsk = container_of(rhp, struct task_struct, rcu);
@@ -1774,6 +1749,7 @@ static __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
 	int pidfd = -1, retval;
 	struct task_struct *p;
 	struct multiprocess_signals delayed;
+	struct file *pidfile = NULL;
 
 	/*
 	 * Don't allow sharing the root directory with processes in a different
@@ -1822,8 +1798,6 @@ static __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
 	}
 
 	if (clone_flags & CLONE_PIDFD) {
-		int reserved;
-
 		/*
 		 * - CLONE_PARENT_SETTID is useless for pidfds and also
 		 *   parent_tidptr is used to return pidfds.
@@ -1834,16 +1808,6 @@ static __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
 		if (clone_flags &
 		    (CLONE_DETACHED | CLONE_PARENT_SETTID | CLONE_THREAD))
 			return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
-
-		/*
-		 * Verify that parent_tidptr is sane so we can potentially
-		 * reuse it later.
-		 */
-		if (get_user(reserved, parent_tidptr))
-			return ERR_PTR(-EFAULT);
-
-		if (reserved != 0)
-			return ERR_PTR(-EINVAL);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -2058,11 +2022,20 @@ static __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
 	 * if the fd table isn't shared).
 	 */
 	if (clone_flags & CLONE_PIDFD) {
-		retval = pidfd_create(pid);
+		retval = get_unused_fd_flags(O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC);
 		if (retval < 0)
 			goto bad_fork_free_pid;
 
 		pidfd = retval;
+
+		pidfile = anon_inode_getfile("[pidfd]", &pidfd_fops, pid,
+					      O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC);
+		if (IS_ERR(pidfile)) {
+			put_unused_fd(pidfd);
+			goto bad_fork_free_pid;
+		}
+		get_pid(pid);	/* held by pidfile now */
+
 		retval = put_user(pidfd, parent_tidptr);
 		if (retval)
 			goto bad_fork_put_pidfd;
@@ -2180,6 +2153,9 @@ static __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
 		goto bad_fork_cancel_cgroup;
 	}
 
+	/* past the last point of failure */
+	if (pidfile)
+		fd_install(pidfd, pidfile);
 
 	init_task_pid_links(p);
 	if (likely(p->pid)) {
@@ -2246,8 +2222,10 @@ bad_fork_cancel_cgroup:
 bad_fork_cgroup_threadgroup_change_end:
 	cgroup_threadgroup_change_end(current);
 bad_fork_put_pidfd:
-	if (clone_flags & CLONE_PIDFD)
-		ksys_close(pidfd);
+	if (clone_flags & CLONE_PIDFD) {
+		fput(pidfile);
+		put_unused_fd(pidfd);
+	}
 bad_fork_free_pid:
 	if (pid != &init_struct_pid)
 		free_pid(pid);
diff --git a/samples/pidfd/pidfd-metadata.c b/samples/pidfd/pidfd-metadata.c
index 14b454448429..c459155daf9a 100644
--- a/samples/pidfd/pidfd-metadata.c
+++ b/samples/pidfd/pidfd-metadata.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ static int pidfd_metadata_fd(pid_t pid, int pidfd)
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-	int pidfd = 0, ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
+	int pidfd = -1, ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
 	char buf[4096] = { 0 };
 	pid_t pid;
 	int procfd, statusfd;
@@ -91,7 +91,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	pid = pidfd_clone(CLONE_PIDFD, &pidfd);
 	if (pid < 0)
-		exit(ret);
+		err(ret, "CLONE_PIDFD");
+	if (pidfd == -1) {
+		warnx("CLONE_PIDFD is not supported by the kernel");
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	procfd = pidfd_metadata_fd(pid, pidfd);
 	close(pidfd);