diff --git a/libcontainer/keys/keyctl.go b/libcontainer/keys/keyctl.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c37ca2133
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libcontainer/keys/keyctl.go
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// +build linux
+
+package keyctl
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"syscall"
+	"strings"
+	"strconv"
+	"unsafe"
+)
+
+const KEYCTL_JOIN_SESSION_KEYRING = 1
+const KEYCTL_SETPERM = 5
+const KEYCTL_DESCRIBE = 6
+
+type KeySerial uint32
+
+func JoinSessionKeyring(name string) (KeySerial, error) {
+	var _name *byte = nil
+	var err error
+
+	if len(name) > 0 {
+		_name, err = syscall.BytePtrFromString(name)
+		if err != nil {
+			return KeySerial(0), err
+		}
+	}
+
+	sessKeyId, _, errn := syscall.Syscall(syscall.SYS_KEYCTL, KEYCTL_JOIN_SESSION_KEYRING, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(_name)), 0)
+	if errn != 0 {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("could not create session key: %v", errn)
+	}
+	return KeySerial(sessKeyId), nil
+}
+
+// modify permissions on a keyring by reading the current permissions,
+// anding the bits with the given mask (clearing permissions) and setting
+// additional permission bits
+func ModKeyringPerm(ringId KeySerial, mask, setbits uint32) error {
+	dest := make([]byte, 1024)
+	destBytes := unsafe.Pointer(&dest[0])
+
+	if _, _, err := syscall.Syscall6(syscall.SYS_KEYCTL, uintptr(KEYCTL_DESCRIBE), uintptr(ringId), uintptr(destBytes), uintptr(len(dest)), 0, 0); err != 0 {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	res := strings.Split(string(dest), ";")
+	if len(res) < 5 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Destination buffer for key description is too small")
+	}
+
+	// parse permissions
+	perm64, err := strconv.ParseUint(res[3], 16, 32)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	perm := (uint32(perm64) & mask) | setbits
+
+	if _, _, err := syscall.Syscall(syscall.SYS_KEYCTL, uintptr(KEYCTL_SETPERM), uintptr(ringId), uintptr(perm)); err != 0 {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
diff --git a/libcontainer/setns_init_linux.go b/libcontainer/setns_init_linux.go
index 2bde44ffb..cb9af7d7f 100644
--- a/libcontainer/setns_init_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/setns_init_linux.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/apparmor"
+	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/keys"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/label"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/seccomp"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/system"
@@ -18,6 +19,10 @@ type linuxSetnsInit struct {
 }
 
 func (l *linuxSetnsInit) Init() error {
+	// do not inherit the parent's session keyring
+	if _, err := keyctl.JoinSessionKeyring("_ses"); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if err := setupRlimits(l.config.Config); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/libcontainer/standard_init_linux.go b/libcontainer/standard_init_linux.go
index d3b50863b..c17031dc1 100644
--- a/libcontainer/standard_init_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/standard_init_linux.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/apparmor"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/configs"
+	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/keys"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/label"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/seccomp"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/system"
@@ -21,6 +22,18 @@ type linuxStandardInit struct {
 }
 
 func (l *linuxStandardInit) Init() error {
+	// do not inherit the parent's session keyring
+	sessKeyId, err := keyctl.JoinSessionKeyring("")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// make session keyring searcheable
+	// without user ns we need 'UID' search permissions
+	// with user ns we need 'other' search permissions
+	if err := keyctl.ModKeyringPerm(sessKeyId, 0xffffffff, 0x080008); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// join any namespaces via a path to the namespace fd if provided
 	if err := joinExistingNamespaces(l.config.Config.Namespaces); err != nil {
 		return err