diff --git a/include/linux/evm.h b/include/linux/evm.h
index 1fcb88c..35ed9a8 100644
--- a/include/linux/evm.h
+++ b/include/linux/evm.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 struct integrity_iint_cache;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_EVM
+extern int evm_set_key(void *key, size_t keylen);
 extern enum integrity_status evm_verifyxattr(struct dentry *dentry,
 					     const char *xattr_name,
 					     void *xattr_value,
@@ -42,6 +43,12 @@
 }
 #endif
 #else
+
+static inline int evm_set_key(void *key, size_t keylen)
+{
+	return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_INTEGRITY
 static inline enum integrity_status evm_verifyxattr(struct dentry *dentry,
 						    const char *xattr_name,
diff --git a/security/integrity/evm/evm_crypto.c b/security/integrity/evm/evm_crypto.c
index c52691ce..ebff478 100644
--- a/security/integrity/evm/evm_crypto.c
+++ b/security/integrity/evm/evm_crypto.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/crypto.h>
 #include <linux/xattr.h>
+#include <linux/evm.h>
 #include <keys/encrypted-type.h>
 #include <crypto/hash.h>
 #include "evm.h"
@@ -32,6 +33,44 @@
 
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(mutex);
 
+#define EVM_SET_KEY_BUSY 0
+
+static unsigned long evm_set_key_flags;
+
+/**
+ * evm_set_key() - set EVM HMAC key from the kernel
+ * @key: pointer to a buffer with the key data
+ * @size: length of the key data
+ *
+ * This function allows to set EVM HMAC key from the kernel
+ * without using key subsystem 'encrypted' keys. It can be used
+ * by the crypto HW kernel module which has own way of managing
+ * keys.
+ *
+ * key length should be between 32 and 128 bytes long
+ */
+int evm_set_key(void *key, size_t keylen)
+{
+	int rc;
+
+	rc = -EBUSY;
+	if (test_and_set_bit(EVM_SET_KEY_BUSY, &evm_set_key_flags))
+		goto busy;
+	rc = -EINVAL;
+	if (keylen > MAX_KEY_SIZE)
+		goto inval;
+	memcpy(evmkey, key, keylen);
+	evm_initialized |= EVM_INIT_HMAC;
+	pr_info("key initialized\n");
+	return 0;
+inval:
+	clear_bit(EVM_SET_KEY_BUSY, &evm_set_key_flags);
+busy:
+	pr_err("key initialization failed\n");
+	return rc;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(evm_set_key);
+
 static struct shash_desc *init_desc(char type)
 {
 	long rc;
@@ -244,7 +283,7 @@
 {
 	struct key *evm_key;
 	struct encrypted_key_payload *ekp;
-	int rc = 0;
+	int rc;
 
 	evm_key = request_key(&key_type_encrypted, EVMKEY, NULL);
 	if (IS_ERR(evm_key))
@@ -252,12 +291,9 @@
 
 	down_read(&evm_key->sem);
 	ekp = evm_key->payload.data;
-	if (ekp->decrypted_datalen > MAX_KEY_SIZE) {
-		rc = -EINVAL;
-		goto out;
-	}
-	memcpy(evmkey, ekp->decrypted_data, ekp->decrypted_datalen);
-out:
+
+	rc = evm_set_key(ekp->decrypted_data, ekp->decrypted_datalen);
+
 	/* burn the original key contents */
 	memset(ekp->decrypted_data, 0, ekp->decrypted_datalen);
 	up_read(&evm_key->sem);
diff --git a/security/integrity/evm/evm_secfs.c b/security/integrity/evm/evm_secfs.c
index 3f775df..c8dccd5 100644
--- a/security/integrity/evm/evm_secfs.c
+++ b/security/integrity/evm/evm_secfs.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
 			     size_t count, loff_t *ppos)
 {
 	char temp[80];
-	int i, error;
+	int i;
 
 	if (!capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN) || (evm_initialized & EVM_INIT_HMAC))
 		return -EPERM;
@@ -78,12 +78,8 @@
 	if ((sscanf(temp, "%d", &i) != 1) || (i != 1))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	error = evm_init_key();
-	if (!error) {
-		evm_initialized |= EVM_INIT_HMAC;
-		pr_info("initialized\n");
-	} else
-		pr_err("initialization failed\n");
+	evm_init_key();
+
 	return count;
 }