diff --git a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c
index 24ea6dd184e4..cdd6aacc9168 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c
@@ -1828,6 +1828,61 @@ rpcrdma_deregister_internal(struct rpcrdma_ia *ia,
 	return rc;
 }
 
+/**
+ * rpcrdma_alloc_regbuf - kmalloc and register memory for SEND/RECV buffers
+ * @ia: controlling rpcrdma_ia
+ * @size: size of buffer to be allocated, in bytes
+ * @flags: GFP flags
+ *
+ * Returns pointer to private header of an area of internally
+ * registered memory, or an ERR_PTR. The registered buffer follows
+ * the end of the private header.
+ *
+ * xprtrdma uses a regbuf for posting an outgoing RDMA SEND, or for
+ * receiving the payload of RDMA RECV operations. regbufs are not
+ * used for RDMA READ/WRITE operations, thus are registered only for
+ * LOCAL access.
+ */
+struct rpcrdma_regbuf *
+rpcrdma_alloc_regbuf(struct rpcrdma_ia *ia, size_t size, gfp_t flags)
+{
+	struct rpcrdma_regbuf *rb;
+	int rc;
+
+	rc = -ENOMEM;
+	rb = kmalloc(sizeof(*rb) + size, flags);
+	if (rb == NULL)
+		goto out;
+
+	rb->rg_size = size;
+	rb->rg_owner = NULL;
+	rc = rpcrdma_register_internal(ia, rb->rg_base, size,
+				       &rb->rg_mr, &rb->rg_iov);
+	if (rc)
+		goto out_free;
+
+	return rb;
+
+out_free:
+	kfree(rb);
+out:
+	return ERR_PTR(rc);
+}
+
+/**
+ * rpcrdma_free_regbuf - deregister and free registered buffer
+ * @ia: controlling rpcrdma_ia
+ * @rb: regbuf to be deregistered and freed
+ */
+void
+rpcrdma_free_regbuf(struct rpcrdma_ia *ia, struct rpcrdma_regbuf *rb)
+{
+	if (rb) {
+		rpcrdma_deregister_internal(ia, rb->rg_mr, &rb->rg_iov);
+		kfree(rb);
+	}
+}
+
 /*
  * Wrappers for chunk registration, shared by read/write chunk code.
  */
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/xprt_rdma.h b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/xprt_rdma.h
index 5c2fac3f30b6..36c37c60f1fe 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/xprt_rdma.h
+++ b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/xprt_rdma.h
@@ -106,6 +106,44 @@ struct rpcrdma_ep {
 #define INIT_CQCOUNT(ep) atomic_set(&(ep)->rep_cqcount, (ep)->rep_cqinit)
 #define DECR_CQCOUNT(ep) atomic_sub_return(1, &(ep)->rep_cqcount)
 
+/* Registered buffer -- registered kmalloc'd memory for RDMA SEND/RECV
+ *
+ * The below structure appears at the front of a large region of kmalloc'd
+ * memory, which always starts on a good alignment boundary.
+ */
+
+struct rpcrdma_regbuf {
+	size_t			rg_size;
+	struct rpcrdma_req	*rg_owner;
+	struct ib_mr		*rg_mr;
+	struct ib_sge		rg_iov;
+	__be32			rg_base[0] __attribute__ ((aligned(256)));
+};
+
+static inline u64
+rdmab_addr(struct rpcrdma_regbuf *rb)
+{
+	return rb->rg_iov.addr;
+}
+
+static inline u32
+rdmab_length(struct rpcrdma_regbuf *rb)
+{
+	return rb->rg_iov.length;
+}
+
+static inline u32
+rdmab_lkey(struct rpcrdma_regbuf *rb)
+{
+	return rb->rg_iov.lkey;
+}
+
+static inline struct rpcrdma_msg *
+rdmab_to_msg(struct rpcrdma_regbuf *rb)
+{
+	return (struct rpcrdma_msg *)rb->rg_base;
+}
+
 enum rpcrdma_chunktype {
 	rpcrdma_noch = 0,
 	rpcrdma_readch,
@@ -372,6 +410,11 @@ int rpcrdma_register_external(struct rpcrdma_mr_seg *,
 int rpcrdma_deregister_external(struct rpcrdma_mr_seg *,
 				struct rpcrdma_xprt *);
 
+struct rpcrdma_regbuf *rpcrdma_alloc_regbuf(struct rpcrdma_ia *,
+					    size_t, gfp_t);
+void rpcrdma_free_regbuf(struct rpcrdma_ia *,
+			 struct rpcrdma_regbuf *);
+
 /*
  * RPC/RDMA connection management calls - xprtrdma/rpc_rdma.c
  */