diff --git a/include/linux/ptrace.h b/include/linux/ptrace.h
index 9178d5cc0b0143a0e81336e6dea09e1cbedab86e..e93ef1a54fc7f206bef8ab658df982298f78558d 100644
--- a/include/linux/ptrace.h
+++ b/include/linux/ptrace.h
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ extern long arch_ptrace(struct task_struct *child, long request,
 extern int ptrace_readdata(struct task_struct *tsk, unsigned long src, char __user *dst, int len);
 extern int ptrace_writedata(struct task_struct *tsk, char __user *src, unsigned long dst, int len);
 extern void ptrace_disable(struct task_struct *);
-extern int ptrace_check_attach(struct task_struct *task, int kill);
+extern int ptrace_check_attach(struct task_struct *task, bool ignore_state);
 extern int ptrace_request(struct task_struct *child, long request,
 			  unsigned long addr, unsigned long data);
 extern void ptrace_notify(int exit_code);
diff --git a/kernel/ptrace.c b/kernel/ptrace.c
index 134f34cb142b03feb79c93b22cb1f33c4b064cbe..eb191116edf7524326de8265b96d4cb522ae9a92 100644
--- a/kernel/ptrace.c
+++ b/kernel/ptrace.c
@@ -97,10 +97,24 @@ void __ptrace_unlink(struct task_struct *child)
 	spin_unlock(&child->sighand->siglock);
 }
 
-/*
- * Check that we have indeed attached to the thing..
+/**
+ * ptrace_check_attach - check whether ptracee is ready for ptrace operation
+ * @child: ptracee to check for
+ * @ignore_state: don't check whether @child is currently %TASK_TRACED
+ *
+ * Check whether @child is being ptraced by %current and ready for further
+ * ptrace operations.  If @ignore_state is %false, @child also should be in
+ * %TASK_TRACED state and on return the child is guaranteed to be traced
+ * and not executing.  If @ignore_state is %true, @child can be in any
+ * state.
+ *
+ * CONTEXT:
+ * Grabs and releases tasklist_lock and @child->sighand->siglock.
+ *
+ * RETURNS:
+ * 0 on success, -ESRCH if %child is not ready.
  */
-int ptrace_check_attach(struct task_struct *child, int kill)
+int ptrace_check_attach(struct task_struct *child, bool ignore_state)
 {
 	int ret = -ESRCH;
 
@@ -119,13 +133,13 @@ int ptrace_check_attach(struct task_struct *child, int kill)
 		 */
 		spin_lock_irq(&child->sighand->siglock);
 		WARN_ON_ONCE(task_is_stopped(child));
-		if (task_is_traced(child) || kill)
+		if (task_is_traced(child) || ignore_state)
 			ret = 0;
 		spin_unlock_irq(&child->sighand->siglock);
 	}
 	read_unlock(&tasklist_lock);
 
-	if (!ret && !kill)
+	if (!ret && !ignore_state)
 		ret = wait_task_inactive(child, TASK_TRACED) ? 0 : -ESRCH;
 
 	/* All systems go.. */