diff --git a/security/keys/keyctl.c b/security/keys/keyctl.c
index 0b3f5d7..6523599 100644
--- a/security/keys/keyctl.c
+++ b/security/keys/keyctl.c
@@ -388,11 +388,24 @@
 	keyring_ref = lookup_user_key(ringid, KEY_LOOKUP_CREATE, KEY_WRITE);
 	if (IS_ERR(keyring_ref)) {
 		ret = PTR_ERR(keyring_ref);
+
+		/* Root is permitted to invalidate certain special keyrings */
+		if (capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN)) {
+			keyring_ref = lookup_user_key(ringid, 0, 0);
+			if (IS_ERR(keyring_ref))
+				goto error;
+			if (test_bit(KEY_FLAG_ROOT_CAN_CLEAR,
+				     &key_ref_to_ptr(keyring_ref)->flags))
+				goto clear;
+			goto error_put;
+		}
+
 		goto error;
 	}
 
+clear:
 	ret = keyring_clear(key_ref_to_ptr(keyring_ref));
-
+error_put:
 	key_ref_put(keyring_ref);
 error:
 	return ret;