diff --git a/pkg/archive/archive.go b/pkg/archive/archive.go
index 32132fcfed..bb623fa856 100644
--- a/pkg/archive/archive.go
+++ b/pkg/archive/archive.go
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ func TarWithOptions(srcPath string, options *TarOptions) (io.ReadCloser, error)
 			compressWriter,
 			options.ChownOpts,
 		)
-		ta.WhiteoutConverter = getWhiteoutConverter(options.WhiteoutFormat)
+		ta.WhiteoutConverter = getWhiteoutConverter(options.WhiteoutFormat, options.InUserNS)
 
 		defer func() {
 			// Make sure to check the error on Close.
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@ func Unpack(decompressedArchive io.Reader, dest string, options *TarOptions) err
 	var dirs []*tar.Header
 	idMapping := idtools.NewIDMappingsFromMaps(options.UIDMaps, options.GIDMaps)
 	rootIDs := idMapping.RootPair()
-	whiteoutConverter := getWhiteoutConverter(options.WhiteoutFormat)
+	whiteoutConverter := getWhiteoutConverter(options.WhiteoutFormat, options.InUserNS)
 
 	// Iterate through the files in the archive.
 loop:
diff --git a/pkg/archive/archive_linux.go b/pkg/archive/archive_linux.go
index 970d4d0680..0601f7b0d1 100644
--- a/pkg/archive/archive_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/archive/archive_linux.go
@@ -2,22 +2,29 @@ package archive // import "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/archive"
 
 import (
 	"archive/tar"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"syscall"
 
+	"github.com/containerd/continuity/fs"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/system"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
-func getWhiteoutConverter(format WhiteoutFormat) tarWhiteoutConverter {
+func getWhiteoutConverter(format WhiteoutFormat, inUserNS bool) tarWhiteoutConverter {
 	if format == OverlayWhiteoutFormat {
-		return overlayWhiteoutConverter{}
+		return overlayWhiteoutConverter{inUserNS: inUserNS}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-type overlayWhiteoutConverter struct{}
+type overlayWhiteoutConverter struct {
+	inUserNS bool
+}
 
 func (overlayWhiteoutConverter) ConvertWrite(hdr *tar.Header, path string, fi os.FileInfo) (wo *tar.Header, err error) {
 	// convert whiteouts to AUFS format
@@ -61,13 +68,22 @@ func (overlayWhiteoutConverter) ConvertWrite(hdr *tar.Header, path string, fi os
 	return
 }
 
-func (overlayWhiteoutConverter) ConvertRead(hdr *tar.Header, path string) (bool, error) {
+func (c overlayWhiteoutConverter) ConvertRead(hdr *tar.Header, path string) (bool, error) {
 	base := filepath.Base(path)
 	dir := filepath.Dir(path)
 
 	// if a directory is marked as opaque by the AUFS special file, we need to translate that to overlay
 	if base == WhiteoutOpaqueDir {
 		err := unix.Setxattr(dir, "trusted.overlay.opaque", []byte{'y'}, 0)
+		if err != nil {
+			if c.inUserNS {
+				if err = replaceDirWithOverlayOpaque(dir); err != nil {
+					return false, errors.Wrapf(err, "replaceDirWithOverlayOpaque(%q) failed", dir)
+				}
+			} else {
+				return false, errors.Wrapf(err, "setxattr(%q, trusted.overlay.opaque=y)", dir)
+			}
+		}
 		// don't write the file itself
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -78,7 +94,19 @@ func (overlayWhiteoutConverter) ConvertRead(hdr *tar.Header, path string) (bool,
 		originalPath := filepath.Join(dir, originalBase)
 
 		if err := unix.Mknod(originalPath, unix.S_IFCHR, 0); err != nil {
-			return false, err
+			if c.inUserNS {
+				// Ubuntu and a few distros support overlayfs in userns.
+				//
+				// Although we can't call mknod directly in userns (at least on bionic kernel 4.15),
+				// we can still create 0,0 char device using mknodChar0Overlay().
+				//
+				// NOTE: we don't need this hack for the containerd snapshotter+unpack model.
+				if err := mknodChar0Overlay(originalPath); err != nil {
+					return false, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to mknodChar0UserNS(%q)", originalPath)
+				}
+			} else {
+				return false, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to mknod(%q, S_IFCHR, 0)", originalPath)
+			}
 		}
 		if err := os.Chown(originalPath, hdr.Uid, hdr.Gid); err != nil {
 			return false, err
@@ -90,3 +118,144 @@ func (overlayWhiteoutConverter) ConvertRead(hdr *tar.Header, path string) (bool,
 
 	return true, nil
 }
+
+// mknodChar0Overlay creates 0,0 char device by mounting overlayfs and unlinking.
+// This function can be used for creating 0,0 char device in userns on Ubuntu.
+//
+// Steps:
+// * Mkdir lower,upper,merged,work
+// * Create lower/dummy
+// * Mount overlayfs
+// * Unlink merged/dummy
+// * Unmount overlayfs
+// * Make sure a 0,0 char device is created as upper/dummy
+// * Rename upper/dummy to cleansedOriginalPath
+func mknodChar0Overlay(cleansedOriginalPath string) error {
+	dir := filepath.Dir(cleansedOriginalPath)
+	tmp, err := ioutil.TempDir(dir, "mc0o")
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create a tmp directory under %s", dir)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmp)
+	lower := filepath.Join(tmp, "l")
+	upper := filepath.Join(tmp, "u")
+	work := filepath.Join(tmp, "w")
+	merged := filepath.Join(tmp, "m")
+	for _, s := range []string{lower, upper, work, merged} {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(s, 0700); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to mkdir %s", s)
+		}
+	}
+	dummyBase := "d"
+	lowerDummy := filepath.Join(lower, dummyBase)
+	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(lowerDummy, []byte{}, 0600); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create a dummy lower file %s", lowerDummy)
+	}
+	mOpts := fmt.Sprintf("lowerdir=%s,upperdir=%s,workdir=%s", lower, upper, work)
+	// docker/pkg/mount.Mount() requires procfs to be mounted. So we use syscall.Mount() directly instead.
+	if err := syscall.Mount("overlay", merged, "overlay", uintptr(0), mOpts); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to mount overlay (%s) on %s", mOpts, merged)
+	}
+	mergedDummy := filepath.Join(merged, dummyBase)
+	if err := os.Remove(mergedDummy); err != nil {
+		syscall.Unmount(merged, 0)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to unlink %s", mergedDummy)
+	}
+	if err := syscall.Unmount(merged, 0); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to unmount %s", merged)
+	}
+	upperDummy := filepath.Join(upper, dummyBase)
+	if err := isChar0(upperDummy); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := os.Rename(upperDummy, cleansedOriginalPath); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to rename %s to %s", upperDummy, cleansedOriginalPath)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func isChar0(path string) error {
+	osStat, err := os.Stat(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to stat %s", path)
+	}
+	st, ok := osStat.Sys().(*syscall.Stat_t)
+	if !ok {
+		return errors.Errorf("got unsupported stat for %s", path)
+	}
+	if os.FileMode(st.Mode)&syscall.S_IFMT != syscall.S_IFCHR {
+		return errors.Errorf("%s is not a character device, got mode=%d", path, st.Mode)
+	}
+	if st.Rdev != 0 {
+		return errors.Errorf("%s is not a 0,0 character device, got Rdev=%d", path, st.Rdev)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// replaceDirWithOverlayOpaque replaces path with a new directory with trusted.overlay.opaque
+// xattr. The contents of the directory are preserved.
+func replaceDirWithOverlayOpaque(path string) error {
+	if path == "/" {
+		return errors.New("replaceDirWithOverlayOpaque: path must not be \"/\"")
+	}
+	dir := filepath.Dir(path)
+	tmp, err := ioutil.TempDir(dir, "rdwoo")
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create a tmp directory under %s", dir)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmp)
+	// newPath is a new empty directory crafted with trusted.overlay.opaque xattr.
+	// we copy the content of path into newPath, remove path, and rename newPath to path.
+	newPath, err := createDirWithOverlayOpaque(tmp)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "createDirWithOverlayOpaque(%q) failed", tmp)
+	}
+	if err := fs.CopyDir(newPath, path); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "CopyDir(%q, %q) failed", newPath, path)
+	}
+	if err := os.RemoveAll(path); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return os.Rename(newPath, path)
+}
+
+// createDirWithOverlayOpaque creates a directory with trusted.overlay.opaque xattr,
+// without calling setxattr, so as to allow creating opaque dir in userns on Ubuntu.
+func createDirWithOverlayOpaque(tmp string) (string, error) {
+	lower := filepath.Join(tmp, "l")
+	upper := filepath.Join(tmp, "u")
+	work := filepath.Join(tmp, "w")
+	merged := filepath.Join(tmp, "m")
+	for _, s := range []string{lower, upper, work, merged} {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(s, 0700); err != nil {
+			return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to mkdir %s", s)
+		}
+	}
+	dummyBase := "d"
+	lowerDummy := filepath.Join(lower, dummyBase)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(lowerDummy, 0700); err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create a dummy lower directory %s", lowerDummy)
+	}
+	mOpts := fmt.Sprintf("lowerdir=%s,upperdir=%s,workdir=%s", lower, upper, work)
+	// docker/pkg/mount.Mount() requires procfs to be mounted. So we use syscall.Mount() directly instead.
+	if err := syscall.Mount("overlay", merged, "overlay", uintptr(0), mOpts); err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to mount overlay (%s) on %s", mOpts, merged)
+	}
+	mergedDummy := filepath.Join(merged, dummyBase)
+	if err := os.Remove(mergedDummy); err != nil {
+		syscall.Unmount(merged, 0)
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to rmdir %s", mergedDummy)
+	}
+	// upperDummy becomes a 0,0-char device file here
+	if err := os.Mkdir(mergedDummy, 0700); err != nil {
+		syscall.Unmount(merged, 0)
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to mkdir %s", mergedDummy)
+	}
+	// upperDummy becomes a directory with trusted.overlay.opaque xattr
+	// (but can't be verified in userns)
+	if err := syscall.Unmount(merged, 0); err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to unmount %s", merged)
+	}
+	upperDummy := filepath.Join(upper, dummyBase)
+	return upperDummy, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/archive/archive_other.go b/pkg/archive/archive_other.go
index 462dfc6323..65a73354c4 100644
--- a/pkg/archive/archive_other.go
+++ b/pkg/archive/archive_other.go
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 
 package archive // import "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/archive"
 
-func getWhiteoutConverter(format WhiteoutFormat) tarWhiteoutConverter {
+func getWhiteoutConverter(format WhiteoutFormat, inUserNS bool) tarWhiteoutConverter {
 	return nil
 }