diff --git a/security/keys/keyring.c b/security/keys/keyring.c
index 88292e3..70f0c31 100644
--- a/security/keys/keyring.c
+++ b/security/keys/keyring.c
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@
 
 	struct keyring_list *keylist;
 	struct timespec now;
-	unsigned long possessed;
+	unsigned long possessed, kflags;
 	struct key *keyring, *key;
 	key_ref_t key_ref;
 	long err;
@@ -319,6 +319,32 @@
 	err = -EAGAIN;
 	sp = 0;
 
+	/* firstly we should check to see if this top-level keyring is what we
+	 * are looking for */
+	key_ref = ERR_PTR(-EAGAIN);
+	kflags = keyring->flags;
+	if (keyring->type == type && match(keyring, description)) {
+		key = keyring;
+
+		/* check it isn't negative and hasn't expired or been
+		 * revoked */
+		if (kflags & (1 << KEY_FLAG_REVOKED))
+			goto error_2;
+		if (key->expiry && now.tv_sec >= key->expiry)
+			goto error_2;
+		key_ref = ERR_PTR(-ENOKEY);
+		if (kflags & (1 << KEY_FLAG_NEGATIVE))
+			goto error_2;
+		goto found;
+	}
+
+	/* otherwise, the top keyring must not be revoked, expired, or
+	 * negatively instantiated if we are to search it */
+	key_ref = ERR_PTR(-EAGAIN);
+	if (kflags & ((1 << KEY_FLAG_REVOKED) | (1 << KEY_FLAG_NEGATIVE)) ||
+	    (keyring->expiry && now.tv_sec >= keyring->expiry))
+		goto error_2;
+
 	/* start processing a new keyring */
 descend:
 	if (test_bit(KEY_FLAG_REVOKED, &keyring->flags))
@@ -331,13 +357,14 @@
 	/* iterate through the keys in this keyring first */
 	for (kix = 0; kix < keylist->nkeys; kix++) {
 		key = keylist->keys[kix];
+		kflags = key->flags;
 
 		/* ignore keys not of this type */
 		if (key->type != type)
 			continue;
 
 		/* skip revoked keys and expired keys */
-		if (test_bit(KEY_FLAG_REVOKED, &key->flags))
+		if (kflags & (1 << KEY_FLAG_REVOKED))
 			continue;
 
 		if (key->expiry && now.tv_sec >= key->expiry)
@@ -352,8 +379,8 @@
 					context, KEY_SEARCH) < 0)
 			continue;
 
-		/* we set a different error code if we find a negative key */
-		if (test_bit(KEY_FLAG_NEGATIVE, &key->flags)) {
+		/* we set a different error code if we pass a negative key */
+		if (kflags & (1 << KEY_FLAG_NEGATIVE)) {
 			err = -ENOKEY;
 			continue;
 		}