diff --git a/fs/char_dev.c b/fs/char_dev.c
index 44a240c4bb65..cc8e96884d0f 100644
--- a/fs/char_dev.c
+++ b/fs/char_dev.c
@@ -59,6 +59,29 @@ void chrdev_show(struct seq_file *f, off_t offset)
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_PROC_FS */
 
+static int find_dynamic_major(void)
+{
+	int i;
+	struct char_device_struct *cd;
+
+	for (i = ARRAY_SIZE(chrdevs)-1; i > CHRDEV_MAJOR_DYN_END; i--) {
+		if (chrdevs[i] == NULL)
+			return i;
+	}
+
+	for (i = CHRDEV_MAJOR_DYN_EXT_START;
+	     i > CHRDEV_MAJOR_DYN_EXT_END; i--) {
+		for (cd = chrdevs[major_to_index(i)]; cd; cd = cd->next)
+			if (cd->major == i)
+				break;
+
+		if (cd == NULL || cd->major != i)
+			return i;
+	}
+
+	return -EBUSY;
+}
+
 /*
  * Register a single major with a specified minor range.
  *
@@ -84,22 +107,14 @@ __register_chrdev_region(unsigned int major, unsigned int baseminor,
 
 	mutex_lock(&chrdevs_lock);
 
-	/* temporary */
 	if (major == 0) {
-		for (i = ARRAY_SIZE(chrdevs)-1; i > 0; i--) {
-			if (chrdevs[i] == NULL)
-				break;
-		}
-
-		if (i < CHRDEV_MAJOR_DYN_END)
-			pr_warn("CHRDEV \"%s\" major number %d goes below the dynamic allocation range\n",
-				name, i);
-
-		if (i == 0) {
-			ret = -EBUSY;
+		ret = find_dynamic_major();
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			pr_err("CHRDEV \"%s\" dynamic allocation region is full\n",
+			       name);
 			goto out;
 		}
-		major = i;
+		major = ret;
 	}
 
 	cd->major = major;
diff --git a/include/linux/fs.h b/include/linux/fs.h
index 18bd249d380b..d29d8b075c75 100644
--- a/include/linux/fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/fs.h
@@ -2480,6 +2480,10 @@ static inline void bd_unlink_disk_holder(struct block_device *bdev,
 #define CHRDEV_MAJOR_HASH_SIZE	255
 /* Marks the bottom of the first segment of free char majors */
 #define CHRDEV_MAJOR_DYN_END 234
+/* Marks the top and bottom of the second segment of free char majors */
+#define CHRDEV_MAJOR_DYN_EXT_START 511
+#define CHRDEV_MAJOR_DYN_EXT_END 384
+
 extern int alloc_chrdev_region(dev_t *, unsigned, unsigned, const char *);
 extern int register_chrdev_region(dev_t, unsigned, const char *);
 extern int __register_chrdev(unsigned int major, unsigned int baseminor,