diff --git a/net/9p/protocol.c b/net/9p/protocol.c
index 83694c631989..4e3a2a1ffcb3 100644
--- a/net/9p/protocol.c
+++ b/net/9p/protocol.c
@@ -23,6 +23,173 @@
 
 #include <trace/events/9p.h>
 
+/* len[2] text[len] */
+#define P9_STRLEN(s) \
+	(2 + min_t(size_t, s ? strlen(s) : 0, USHRT_MAX))
+
+/**
+ * p9_msg_buf_size - Returns a buffer size sufficiently large to hold the
+ * intended 9p message.
+ * @c: client
+ * @type: message type
+ * @fmt: format template for assembling request message
+ * (see p9pdu_vwritef)
+ * @ap: variable arguments to be fed to passed format template
+ * (see p9pdu_vwritef)
+ *
+ * Note: Even for response types (P9_R*) the format template and variable
+ * arguments must always be for the originating request type (P9_T*).
+ */
+size_t p9_msg_buf_size(struct p9_client *c, enum p9_msg_t type,
+			const char *fmt, va_list ap)
+{
+	/* size[4] type[1] tag[2] */
+	const int hdr = 4 + 1 + 2;
+	/* ename[s] errno[4] */
+	const int rerror_size = hdr + P9_ERRMAX + 4;
+	/* ecode[4] */
+	const int rlerror_size = hdr + 4;
+	const int err_size =
+		c->proto_version == p9_proto_2000L ? rlerror_size : rerror_size;
+
+	static_assert(NAME_MAX <= 4*1024, "p9_msg_buf_size() currently assumes "
+				  "a max. allowed directory entry name length of 4k");
+
+	switch (type) {
+
+	/* message types not used at all */
+	case P9_TERROR:
+	case P9_TLERROR:
+	case P9_TAUTH:
+	case P9_RAUTH:
+		BUG();
+
+	/* variable length & potentially large message types */
+	case P9_TATTACH:
+		BUG_ON(strcmp("ddss?u", fmt));
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		{
+			const char *uname = va_arg(ap, const char *);
+			const char *aname = va_arg(ap, const char *);
+			/* fid[4] afid[4] uname[s] aname[s] n_uname[4] */
+			return hdr + 4 + 4 + P9_STRLEN(uname) + P9_STRLEN(aname) + 4;
+		}
+	case P9_TWALK:
+		BUG_ON(strcmp("ddT", fmt));
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		{
+			uint i, nwname = va_arg(ap, int);
+			size_t wname_all;
+			const char **wnames = va_arg(ap, const char **);
+			for (i = 0, wname_all = 0; i < nwname; ++i) {
+				wname_all += P9_STRLEN(wnames[i]);
+			}
+			/* fid[4] newfid[4] nwname[2] nwname*(wname[s]) */
+			return hdr + 4 + 4 + 2 + wname_all;
+		}
+	case P9_RWALK:
+		BUG_ON(strcmp("ddT", fmt));
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		{
+			uint nwname = va_arg(ap, int);
+			/* nwqid[2] nwqid*(wqid[13]) */
+			return max_t(size_t, hdr + 2 + nwname * 13, err_size);
+		}
+	case P9_TCREATE:
+		BUG_ON(strcmp("dsdb?s", fmt));
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		{
+			const char *name = va_arg(ap, const char *);
+			if (c->proto_version == p9_proto_legacy) {
+				/* fid[4] name[s] perm[4] mode[1] */
+				return hdr + 4 + P9_STRLEN(name) + 4 + 1;
+			} else {
+				va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+				va_arg(ap, int);
+				{
+					const char *ext = va_arg(ap, const char *);
+					/* fid[4] name[s] perm[4] mode[1] extension[s] */
+					return hdr + 4 + P9_STRLEN(name) + 4 + 1 + P9_STRLEN(ext);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	case P9_TLCREATE:
+		BUG_ON(strcmp("dsddg", fmt));
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		{
+			const char *name = va_arg(ap, const char *);
+			/* fid[4] name[s] flags[4] mode[4] gid[4] */
+			return hdr + 4 + P9_STRLEN(name) + 4 + 4 + 4;
+		}
+	case P9_RREAD:
+	case P9_RREADDIR:
+		BUG_ON(strcmp("dqd", fmt));
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		va_arg(ap, int64_t);
+		{
+			const int32_t count = va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+			/* count[4] data[count] */
+			return max_t(size_t, hdr + 4 + count, err_size);
+		}
+	case P9_TWRITE:
+		BUG_ON(strcmp("dqV", fmt));
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		va_arg(ap, int64_t);
+		{
+			const int32_t count = va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+			/* fid[4] offset[8] count[4] data[count] */
+			return hdr + 4 + 8 + 4 + count;
+		}
+	case P9_TRENAMEAT:
+		BUG_ON(strcmp("dsds", fmt));
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		{
+			const char *oldname, *newname;
+			oldname = va_arg(ap, const char *);
+			va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+			newname = va_arg(ap, const char *);
+			/* olddirfid[4] oldname[s] newdirfid[4] newname[s] */
+			return hdr + 4 + P9_STRLEN(oldname) + 4 + P9_STRLEN(newname);
+		}
+	case P9_TSYMLINK:
+		BUG_ON(strcmp("dssg", fmt));
+		va_arg(ap, int32_t);
+		{
+			const char *name = va_arg(ap, const char *);
+			const char *symtgt = va_arg(ap, const char *);
+			/* fid[4] name[s] symtgt[s] gid[4] */
+			return hdr + 4 + P9_STRLEN(name) + P9_STRLEN(symtgt) + 4;
+		}
+
+	case P9_RERROR:
+		return rerror_size;
+	case P9_RLERROR:
+		return rlerror_size;
+
+	/* small message types */
+	case P9_TWSTAT:
+	case P9_RSTAT:
+	case P9_RREADLINK:
+	case P9_TXATTRWALK:
+	case P9_TXATTRCREATE:
+	case P9_TLINK:
+	case P9_TMKDIR:
+	case P9_TMKNOD:
+	case P9_TRENAME:
+	case P9_TUNLINKAT:
+	case P9_TLOCK:
+		return 8 * 1024;
+
+	/* tiny message types */
+	default:
+		return 4 * 1024;
+
+	}
+}
+
 static int
 p9pdu_writef(struct p9_fcall *pdu, int proto_version, const char *fmt, ...);
 
diff --git a/net/9p/protocol.h b/net/9p/protocol.h
index 6d719c30331a..ad2283d1f96b 100644
--- a/net/9p/protocol.h
+++ b/net/9p/protocol.h
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
  *  Copyright (C) 2008 by IBM, Corp.
  */
 
+size_t p9_msg_buf_size(struct p9_client *c, enum p9_msg_t type,
+			const char *fmt, va_list ap);
 int p9pdu_vwritef(struct p9_fcall *pdu, int proto_version, const char *fmt,
 		  va_list ap);
 int p9pdu_readf(struct p9_fcall *pdu, int proto_version, const char *fmt, ...);