diff --git a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/pkeys.h b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/pkeys.h
index 3312606fda07..20ebf153c871 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/pkeys.h
+++ b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/pkeys.h
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
 
 DECLARE_STATIC_KEY_TRUE(pkey_disabled);
 extern int pkeys_total; /* total pkeys as per device tree */
-extern u32 initial_allocation_mask; /* bits set for reserved keys */
+extern u32 initial_allocation_mask; /*  bits set for the initially allocated keys */
+extern u32 reserved_allocation_mask; /* bits set for reserved keys */
 
 #define ARCH_VM_PKEY_FLAGS (VM_PKEY_BIT0 | VM_PKEY_BIT1 | VM_PKEY_BIT2 | \
 			    VM_PKEY_BIT3 | VM_PKEY_BIT4)
@@ -83,15 +84,19 @@ static inline u16 pte_to_pkey_bits(u64 pteflags)
 #define __mm_pkey_is_allocated(mm, pkey)	\
 	(mm_pkey_allocation_map(mm) & pkey_alloc_mask(pkey))
 
-#define __mm_pkey_is_reserved(pkey) (initial_allocation_mask & \
+#define __mm_pkey_is_reserved(pkey) (reserved_allocation_mask & \
 				       pkey_alloc_mask(pkey))
 
 static inline bool mm_pkey_is_allocated(struct mm_struct *mm, int pkey)
 {
-	/* A reserved key is never considered as 'explicitly allocated' */
-	return ((pkey < arch_max_pkey()) &&
-		!__mm_pkey_is_reserved(pkey) &&
-		__mm_pkey_is_allocated(mm, pkey));
+	if (pkey < 0 || pkey >= arch_max_pkey())
+		return false;
+
+	/* Reserved keys are never allocated. */
+	if (__mm_pkey_is_reserved(pkey))
+		return false;
+
+	return __mm_pkey_is_allocated(mm, pkey);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -176,6 +181,16 @@ static inline int arch_set_user_pkey_access(struct task_struct *tsk, int pkey,
 {
 	if (static_branch_likely(&pkey_disabled))
 		return -EINVAL;
+
+	/*
+	 * userspace should not change pkey-0 permissions.
+	 * pkey-0 is associated with every page in the kernel.
+	 * If userspace denies any permission on pkey-0, the
+	 * kernel cannot operate.
+	 */
+	if (pkey == 0)
+		return init_val ? -EINVAL : 0;
+
 	return __arch_set_user_pkey_access(tsk, pkey, init_val);
 }
 
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/mm/pkeys.c b/arch/powerpc/mm/pkeys.c
index 0e7810ccd1ae..333b1f80c435 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/mm/pkeys.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/mm/pkeys.c
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ DEFINE_STATIC_KEY_TRUE(pkey_disabled);
 bool pkey_execute_disable_supported;
 int  pkeys_total;		/* Total pkeys as per device tree */
 bool pkeys_devtree_defined;	/* pkey property exported by device tree */
-u32  initial_allocation_mask;	/* Bits set for reserved keys */
+u32  initial_allocation_mask;   /* Bits set for the initially allocated keys */
+u32  reserved_allocation_mask;  /* Bits set for reserved keys */
 u64  pkey_amr_mask;		/* Bits in AMR not to be touched */
 u64  pkey_iamr_mask;		/* Bits in AMR not to be touched */
 u64  pkey_uamor_mask;		/* Bits in UMOR not to be touched */
@@ -121,8 +122,8 @@ int pkey_initialize(void)
 #else
 	os_reserved = 0;
 #endif
-	initial_allocation_mask  = (0x1 << 0) | (0x1 << 1) |
-					(0x1 << execute_only_key);
+	/* Bits are in LE format. */
+	reserved_allocation_mask = (0x1 << 1) | (0x1 << execute_only_key);
 
 	/* register mask is in BE format */
 	pkey_amr_mask = ~0x0ul;
@@ -138,9 +139,10 @@ int pkey_initialize(void)
 
 	/* mark the rest of the keys as reserved and hence unavailable */
 	for (i = (pkeys_total - os_reserved); i < pkeys_total; i++) {
-		initial_allocation_mask |= (0x1 << i);
+		reserved_allocation_mask |= (0x1 << i);
 		pkey_uamor_mask &= ~(0x3ul << pkeyshift(i));
 	}
+	initial_allocation_mask = reserved_allocation_mask | (0x1 << 0);
 
 	if (unlikely((pkeys_total - os_reserved) <= execute_only_key)) {
 		/*
@@ -359,9 +361,6 @@ static bool pkey_access_permitted(int pkey, bool write, bool execute)
 	int pkey_shift;
 	u64 amr;
 
-	if (!pkey)
-		return true;
-
 	if (!is_pkey_enabled(pkey))
 		return true;