diff --git a/include/linux/ioport.h b/include/linux/ioport.h
index e885ba23de7..34ae6e6c65e 100644
--- a/include/linux/ioport.h
+++ b/include/linux/ioport.h
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ extern struct resource iomem_resource;
 
 extern struct resource *request_resource_conflict(struct resource *root, struct resource *new);
 extern int request_resource(struct resource *root, struct resource *new);
+extern struct resource *locate_resource(struct resource *root,
+	struct resource *search);
 extern int release_resource(struct resource *new);
 void release_child_resources(struct resource *new);
 extern void reserve_region_with_split(struct resource *root,
diff --git a/kernel/resource.c b/kernel/resource.c
index 7e8ea66a8c0..5118711c033 100644
--- a/kernel/resource.c
+++ b/kernel/resource.c
@@ -261,6 +261,24 @@ int request_resource(struct resource *root, struct resource *new)
 
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(request_resource);
 
+/**
+ * locate_resource - locate an already reserved I/O or memory resource
+ * @root: root resource descriptor
+ * @search: resource descriptor to be located
+ *
+ * Returns pointer to desired resource or NULL if not found.
+ */
+struct resource *locate_resource(struct resource *root, struct resource *search)
+{
+	struct resource *found;
+
+	write_lock(&resource_lock);
+	found = __request_resource(root, search);
+	write_unlock(&resource_lock);
+	return found;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(locate_resource);
+
 /**
  * release_resource - release a previously reserved resource
  * @old: resource pointer