diff --git a/include/linux/nl80211.h b/include/linux/nl80211.h
index 5ec4ac3a0ef4..b87481866dde 100644
--- a/include/linux/nl80211.h
+++ b/include/linux/nl80211.h
@@ -410,6 +410,16 @@
  *	notification. This event is used to indicate that an unprotected
  *	disassociation frame was dropped when MFP is in use.
  *
+ * @NL80211_CMD_NEW_PEER_CANDIDATE: Notification on the reception of a
+ *      beacon or probe response from a compatible mesh peer.  This is only
+ *      sent while no station information (sta_info) exists for the new peer
+ *      candidate and when @NL80211_MESH_SETUP_USERSPACE_AUTH is set.  On
+ *      reception of this notification, userspace may decide to create a new
+ *      station (@NL80211_CMD_NEW_STATION).  To stop this notification from
+ *      reoccurring, the userspace authentication daemon may want to create the
+ *      new station with the AUTHENTICATED flag unset and maybe change it later
+ *      depending on the authentication result.
+ *
  * @NL80211_CMD_MAX: highest used command number
  * @__NL80211_CMD_AFTER_LAST: internal use
  */
@@ -522,6 +532,8 @@ enum nl80211_commands {
 	NL80211_CMD_UNPROT_DEAUTHENTICATE,
 	NL80211_CMD_UNPROT_DISASSOCIATE,
 
+	NL80211_CMD_NEW_PEER_CANDIDATE,
+
 	/* add new commands above here */
 
 	/* used to define NL80211_CMD_MAX below */
diff --git a/include/net/cfg80211.h b/include/net/cfg80211.h
index e77603bd1630..f40cd30847de 100644
--- a/include/net/cfg80211.h
+++ b/include/net/cfg80211.h
@@ -2488,6 +2488,22 @@ void cfg80211_michael_mic_failure(struct net_device *dev, const u8 *addr,
  */
 void cfg80211_ibss_joined(struct net_device *dev, const u8 *bssid, gfp_t gfp);
 
+/**
+ * cfg80211_notify_new_candidate - notify cfg80211 of a new mesh peer candidate
+ *
+ * @dev: network device
+ * @macaddr: the MAC address of the new candidate
+ * @ie: information elements advertised by the peer candidate
+ * @ie_len: lenght of the information elements buffer
+ * @gfp: allocation flags
+ *
+ * This function notifies cfg80211 that the mesh peer candidate has been
+ * detected, most likely via a beacon or, less likely, via a probe response.
+ * cfg80211 then sends a notification to userspace.
+ */
+void cfg80211_notify_new_peer_candidate(struct net_device *dev,
+		const u8 *macaddr, const u8 *ie, u8 ie_len, gfp_t gfp);
+
 /**
  * DOC: RFkill integration
  *
diff --git a/net/wireless/mesh.c b/net/wireless/mesh.c
index e0226e8265a3..5c116083eeca 100644
--- a/net/wireless/mesh.c
+++ b/net/wireless/mesh.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include <linux/ieee80211.h>
 #include <net/cfg80211.h>
+#include "nl80211.h"
 #include "core.h"
 
 /* Default values, timeouts in ms */
@@ -110,6 +111,19 @@ int cfg80211_join_mesh(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,
 	return err;
 }
 
+void cfg80211_notify_new_peer_candidate(struct net_device *dev,
+		const u8 *macaddr, const u8* ie, u8 ie_len, gfp_t gfp)
+{
+	struct wireless_dev *wdev = dev->ieee80211_ptr;
+
+	if (WARN_ON(wdev->iftype != NL80211_IFTYPE_MESH_POINT))
+		return;
+
+	nl80211_send_new_peer_candidate(wiphy_to_dev(wdev->wiphy), dev,
+			macaddr, ie, ie_len, gfp);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(cfg80211_notify_new_peer_candidate);
+
 static int __cfg80211_leave_mesh(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,
 				 struct net_device *dev)
 {
diff --git a/net/wireless/nl80211.c b/net/wireless/nl80211.c
index f4cb8efe2e5f..58f501a35022 100644
--- a/net/wireless/nl80211.c
+++ b/net/wireless/nl80211.c
@@ -5818,6 +5818,44 @@ void nl80211_send_ibss_bssid(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,
 	nlmsg_free(msg);
 }
 
+void nl80211_send_new_peer_candidate(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,
+		struct net_device *netdev,
+		const u8 *macaddr, const u8* ie, u8 ie_len,
+		gfp_t gfp)
+{
+	struct sk_buff *msg;
+	void *hdr;
+
+	msg = nlmsg_new(NLMSG_DEFAULT_SIZE, gfp);
+	if (!msg)
+		return;
+
+	hdr = nl80211hdr_put(msg, 0, 0, 0, NL80211_CMD_NEW_PEER_CANDIDATE);
+	if (!hdr) {
+		nlmsg_free(msg);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	NLA_PUT_U32(msg, NL80211_ATTR_WIPHY, rdev->wiphy_idx);
+	NLA_PUT_U32(msg, NL80211_ATTR_IFINDEX, netdev->ifindex);
+	NLA_PUT(msg, NL80211_ATTR_MAC, ETH_ALEN, macaddr);
+	if (ie_len && ie)
+		NLA_PUT(msg, NL80211_ATTR_IE, ie_len , ie);
+
+	if (genlmsg_end(msg, hdr) < 0) {
+		nlmsg_free(msg);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	genlmsg_multicast_netns(wiphy_net(&rdev->wiphy), msg, 0,
+				nl80211_mlme_mcgrp.id, gfp);
+	return;
+
+ nla_put_failure:
+	genlmsg_cancel(msg, hdr);
+	nlmsg_free(msg);
+}
+
 void nl80211_michael_mic_failure(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,
 				 struct net_device *netdev, const u8 *addr,
 				 enum nl80211_key_type key_type, int key_id,
diff --git a/net/wireless/nl80211.h b/net/wireless/nl80211.h
index dcac5cd6f017..f2af6955a665 100644
--- a/net/wireless/nl80211.h
+++ b/net/wireless/nl80211.h
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ void nl80211_send_disconnected(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,
 			       struct net_device *netdev, u16 reason,
 			       const u8 *ie, size_t ie_len, bool from_ap);
 
+void nl80211_send_new_peer_candidate(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,
+				     struct net_device *netdev,
+				     const u8 *macaddr, const u8* ie, u8 ie_len,
+				     gfp_t gfp);
 void
 nl80211_michael_mic_failure(struct cfg80211_registered_device *rdev,
 			    struct net_device *netdev, const u8 *addr,