diff --git a/lib/bitmap.c b/lib/bitmap.c
index 2ed91904..b7ffeaa 100644
--- a/lib/bitmap.c
+++ b/lib/bitmap.c
@@ -326,30 +326,32 @@
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(bitmap_clear);
 
-/*
- * bitmap_find_next_zero_area - find a contiguous aligned zero area
+/**
+ * bitmap_find_next_zero_area_off - find a contiguous aligned zero area
  * @map: The address to base the search on
  * @size: The bitmap size in bits
  * @start: The bitnumber to start searching at
  * @nr: The number of zeroed bits we're looking for
  * @align_mask: Alignment mask for zero area
+ * @align_offset: Alignment offset for zero area.
  *
  * The @align_mask should be one less than a power of 2; the effect is that
- * the bit offset of all zero areas this function finds is multiples of that
- * power of 2. A @align_mask of 0 means no alignment is required.
+ * the bit offset of all zero areas this function finds plus @align_offset
+ * is multiple of that power of 2.
  */
-unsigned long bitmap_find_next_zero_area(unsigned long *map,
-					 unsigned long size,
-					 unsigned long start,
-					 unsigned int nr,
-					 unsigned long align_mask)
+unsigned long bitmap_find_next_zero_area_off(unsigned long *map,
+					     unsigned long size,
+					     unsigned long start,
+					     unsigned int nr,
+					     unsigned long align_mask,
+					     unsigned long align_offset)
 {
 	unsigned long index, end, i;
 again:
 	index = find_next_zero_bit(map, size, start);
 
 	/* Align allocation */
-	index = __ALIGN_MASK(index, align_mask);
+	index = __ALIGN_MASK(index + align_offset, align_mask) - align_offset;
 
 	end = index + nr;
 	if (end > size)
@@ -361,7 +363,7 @@
 	}
 	return index;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(bitmap_find_next_zero_area);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(bitmap_find_next_zero_area_off);
 
 /*
  * Bitmap printing & parsing functions: first version by Nadia Yvette Chambers,