diff --git a/fs/overlayfs/util.c b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
index 32ff67f..7c7b95d 100644
--- a/fs/overlayfs/util.c
+++ b/fs/overlayfs/util.c
@@ -207,6 +207,19 @@ struct ovl_layer *ovl_layer_lower(struct dentry *dentry)
 	return oe->numlower ? oe->lowerstack[0].layer : NULL;
 }
 
+/*
+ * ovl_dentry_lower() could return either a data dentry or metacopy dentry
+ * dependig on what is stored in lowerstack[0]. At times we need to find
+ * lower dentry which has data (and not metacopy dentry). This helper
+ * returns the lower data dentry.
+ */
+struct dentry *ovl_dentry_lowerdata(struct dentry *dentry)
+{
+	struct ovl_entry *oe = dentry->d_fsdata;
+
+	return oe->numlower ? oe->lowerstack[oe->numlower - 1].dentry : NULL;
+}
+
 struct dentry *ovl_dentry_real(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	return ovl_dentry_upper(dentry) ?: ovl_dentry_lower(dentry);