diff --git a/drivers/block/loop.c b/drivers/block/loop.c
index 91ebb00..f7f1635 100644
--- a/drivers/block/loop.c
+++ b/drivers/block/loop.c
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@
 static LIST_HEAD(loop_devices);
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(loop_devices_mutex);
 
+static int max_part;
+static int part_shift;
+
 /*
  * Transfer functions
  */
@@ -692,6 +695,8 @@
 		goto out_putf;
 
 	fput(old_file);
+	if (max_part > 0)
+		ioctl_by_bdev(bdev, BLKRRPART, 0);
 	return 0;
 
  out_putf:
@@ -819,6 +824,8 @@
 	}
 	lo->lo_state = Lo_bound;
 	wake_up_process(lo->lo_thread);
+	if (max_part > 0)
+		ioctl_by_bdev(bdev, BLKRRPART, 0);
 	return 0;
 
 out_clr:
@@ -919,6 +926,8 @@
 	fput(filp);
 	/* This is safe: open() is still holding a reference. */
 	module_put(THIS_MODULE);
+	if (max_part > 0)
+		ioctl_by_bdev(bdev, BLKRRPART, 0);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1360,6 +1369,8 @@
 static int max_loop;
 module_param(max_loop, int, 0);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(max_loop, "Maximum number of loop devices");
+module_param(max_part, int, 0);
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(max_part, "Maximum number of partitions per loop device");
 MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
 MODULE_ALIAS_BLOCKDEV_MAJOR(LOOP_MAJOR);
 
@@ -1412,7 +1423,7 @@
 	if (!lo->lo_queue)
 		goto out_free_dev;
 
-	disk = lo->lo_disk = alloc_disk(1);
+	disk = lo->lo_disk = alloc_disk(1 << part_shift);
 	if (!disk)
 		goto out_free_queue;
 
@@ -1422,7 +1433,7 @@
 	init_waitqueue_head(&lo->lo_event);
 	spin_lock_init(&lo->lo_lock);
 	disk->major		= LOOP_MAJOR;
-	disk->first_minor	= i;
+	disk->first_minor	= i << part_shift;
 	disk->fops		= &lo_fops;
 	disk->private_data	= lo;
 	disk->queue		= lo->lo_queue;
@@ -1502,7 +1513,12 @@
 	 *     themselves and have kernel automatically instantiate actual
 	 *     device on-demand.
 	 */
-	if (max_loop > 1UL << MINORBITS)
+
+	part_shift = 0;
+	if (max_part > 0)
+		part_shift = fls(max_part);
+
+	if (max_loop > 1UL << (MINORBITS - part_shift))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	if (max_loop) {
@@ -1510,7 +1526,7 @@
 		range = max_loop;
 	} else {
 		nr = 8;
-		range = 1UL << MINORBITS;
+		range = 1UL << (MINORBITS - part_shift);
 	}
 
 	if (register_blkdev(LOOP_MAJOR, "loop"))
@@ -1549,7 +1565,7 @@
 	unsigned long range;
 	struct loop_device *lo, *next;
 
-	range = max_loop ? max_loop :  1UL << MINORBITS;
+	range = max_loop ? max_loop :  1UL << (MINORBITS - part_shift);
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(lo, next, &loop_devices, lo_list)
 		loop_del_one(lo);