diff --git a/fs/ceph/super.c b/fs/ceph/super.c
index a9e78b4..f2f77fd 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/super.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/super.c
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@
 
 	if (opt->name)
 		seq_printf(m, ",name=%s", opt->name);
-	if (opt->secret)
+	if (opt->key)
 		seq_puts(m, ",secret=<hidden>");
 
 	if (opt->mount_timeout != CEPH_MOUNT_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT)
diff --git a/include/linux/ceph/auth.h b/include/linux/ceph/auth.h
index 7fff521..aa13392 100644
--- a/include/linux/ceph/auth.h
+++ b/include/linux/ceph/auth.h
@@ -67,12 +67,12 @@
 	bool negotiating;       /* true if negotiating protocol */
 	const char *name;       /* entity name */
 	u64 global_id;          /* our unique id in system */
-	const char *secret;     /* our secret key */
+	const struct ceph_crypto_key *key;     /* our secret key */
 	unsigned want_keys;     /* which services we want */
 };
 
 extern struct ceph_auth_client *ceph_auth_init(const char *name,
-					       const char *secret);
+					       const struct ceph_crypto_key *key);
 extern void ceph_auth_destroy(struct ceph_auth_client *ac);
 
 extern void ceph_auth_reset(struct ceph_auth_client *ac);
diff --git a/include/linux/ceph/libceph.h b/include/linux/ceph/libceph.h
index 0d2e0ff..6365f04 100644
--- a/include/linux/ceph/libceph.h
+++ b/include/linux/ceph/libceph.h
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 					      pointer type of args */
 	int num_mon;
 	char *name;
-	char *secret;
+	struct ceph_crypto_key *key;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/net/ceph/auth.c b/net/ceph/auth.c
index 549c1f4..b4bf4ac 100644
--- a/net/ceph/auth.c
+++ b/net/ceph/auth.c
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@
 /*
  * setup, teardown.
  */
-struct ceph_auth_client *ceph_auth_init(const char *name, const char *secret)
+struct ceph_auth_client *ceph_auth_init(const char *name, const struct ceph_crypto_key *key)
 {
 	struct ceph_auth_client *ac;
 	int ret;
 
-	dout("auth_init name '%s' secret '%s'\n", name, secret);
+	dout("auth_init name '%s'\n", name);
 
 	ret = -ENOMEM;
 	ac = kzalloc(sizeof(*ac), GFP_NOFS);
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@
 		ac->name = name;
 	else
 		ac->name = CEPH_AUTH_NAME_DEFAULT;
-	dout("auth_init name %s secret %s\n", ac->name, secret);
-	ac->secret = secret;
+	dout("auth_init name %s\n", ac->name);
+	ac->key = key;
 	return ac;
 
 out:
diff --git a/net/ceph/auth_x.c b/net/ceph/auth_x.c
index 7fd5dfc..1587dc6 100644
--- a/net/ceph/auth_x.c
+++ b/net/ceph/auth_x.c
@@ -662,14 +662,16 @@
 		goto out;
 
 	ret = -EINVAL;
-	if (!ac->secret) {
+	if (!ac->key) {
 		pr_err("no secret set (for auth_x protocol)\n");
 		goto out_nomem;
 	}
 
-	ret = ceph_crypto_key_unarmor(&xi->secret, ac->secret);
-	if (ret)
+	ret = ceph_crypto_key_clone(&xi->secret, ac->key);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		pr_err("cannot clone key: %d\n", ret);
 		goto out_nomem;
+	}
 
 	xi->starting = true;
 	xi->ticket_handlers = RB_ROOT;
diff --git a/net/ceph/ceph_common.c b/net/ceph/ceph_common.c
index 9bbb356..02e084f 100644
--- a/net/ceph/ceph_common.c
+++ b/net/ceph/ceph_common.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <linux/ceph/decode.h>
 #include <linux/ceph/mon_client.h>
 #include <linux/ceph/auth.h>
+#include "crypto.h"
 
 
 
@@ -117,9 +118,29 @@
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-	ret = strcmp_null(opt1->secret, opt2->secret);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
+	if (opt1->key && !opt2->key)
+		return -1;
+	if (!opt1->key && opt2->key)
+		return 1;
+	if (opt1->key && opt2->key) {
+		if (opt1->key->type != opt2->key->type)
+			return -1;
+		if (opt1->key->created.tv_sec != opt2->key->created.tv_sec)
+			return -1;
+		if (opt1->key->created.tv_nsec != opt2->key->created.tv_nsec)
+			return -1;
+		if (opt1->key->len != opt2->key->len)
+			return -1;
+		if (opt1->key->key && !opt2->key->key)
+			return -1;
+		if (!opt1->key->key && opt2->key->key)
+			return 1;
+		if (opt1->key->key && opt2->key->key) {
+			ret = memcmp(opt1->key->key, opt2->key->key, opt1->key->len);
+			if (ret)
+				return ret;
+		}
+	}
 
 	/* any matching mon ip implies a match */
 	for (i = 0; i < opt1->num_mon; i++) {
@@ -203,7 +224,10 @@
 {
 	dout("destroy_options %p\n", opt);
 	kfree(opt->name);
-	kfree(opt->secret);
+	if (opt->key) {
+		ceph_crypto_key_destroy(opt->key);
+		kfree(opt->key);
+	}
 	kfree(opt);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(ceph_destroy_options);
@@ -295,9 +319,14 @@
 					      GFP_KERNEL);
 			break;
 		case Opt_secret:
-			opt->secret = kstrndup(argstr[0].from,
-						argstr[0].to-argstr[0].from,
-						GFP_KERNEL);
+		        opt->key = kzalloc(sizeof(*opt->key), GFP_KERNEL);
+			if (!opt->key) {
+				err = -ENOMEM;
+				goto out;
+			}
+			err = ceph_crypto_key_unarmor(opt->key, argstr[0].from);
+			if (err < 0)
+				goto out;
 			break;
 
 			/* misc */
diff --git a/net/ceph/crypto.c b/net/ceph/crypto.c
index 7b505b0..75f0893 100644
--- a/net/ceph/crypto.c
+++ b/net/ceph/crypto.c
@@ -9,6 +9,17 @@
 #include <linux/ceph/decode.h>
 #include "crypto.h"
 
+int ceph_crypto_key_clone(struct ceph_crypto_key *dst,
+			  const struct ceph_crypto_key *src)
+{
+	memcpy(dst, src, sizeof(struct ceph_crypto_key));
+	dst->key = kmalloc(src->len, GFP_NOFS);
+	if (!dst->key)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	memcpy(dst->key, src->key, src->len);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int ceph_crypto_key_encode(struct ceph_crypto_key *key, void **p, void *end)
 {
 	if (*p + sizeof(u16) + sizeof(key->created) +
diff --git a/net/ceph/crypto.h b/net/ceph/crypto.h
index f9eccac..6cf6edc 100644
--- a/net/ceph/crypto.h
+++ b/net/ceph/crypto.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 	kfree(key->key);
 }
 
+extern int ceph_crypto_key_clone(struct ceph_crypto_key *dst,
+				 const struct ceph_crypto_key *src);
 extern int ceph_crypto_key_encode(struct ceph_crypto_key *key,
 				  void **p, void *end);
 extern int ceph_crypto_key_decode(struct ceph_crypto_key *key,
diff --git a/net/ceph/mon_client.c b/net/ceph/mon_client.c
index 8a07939..cbe31fa 100644
--- a/net/ceph/mon_client.c
+++ b/net/ceph/mon_client.c
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@
 
 	/* authentication */
 	monc->auth = ceph_auth_init(cl->options->name,
-				    cl->options->secret);
+				    cl->options->key);
 	if (IS_ERR(monc->auth))
 		return PTR_ERR(monc->auth);
 	monc->auth->want_keys =