diff --git a/fs/aufs/opts.c b/fs/aufs/opts.c
index 37bb9af..74d7922 100644
--- a/fs/aufs/opts.c
+++ b/fs/aufs/opts.c
@@ -251,8 +251,12 @@ const char *au_optstr_udba(int udba)
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 static match_table_t au_wbr_create_policy = {
-	{AuWbrCreate_TDP, "tdp"},
-	{AuWbrCreate_TDP, "top-down-parent"},
+	{AuWbrCreate_TDP_B, "tdp:b"},
+	{AuWbrCreate_TDP_B, "top-down-parent:b"},
+	{AuWbrCreate_TDP_B, "tdp"},
+	{AuWbrCreate_TDP_B, "top-down-parent"},
+	{AuWbrCreate_TDP_T, "tdp:t"},
+	{AuWbrCreate_TDP_T, "top-down-parent:t"},
 	{AuWbrCreate_RR, "rr"},
 	{AuWbrCreate_RR, "round-robin"},
 	{AuWbrCreate_MFS, "mfs"},
diff --git a/fs/aufs/opts.h b/fs/aufs/opts.h
index e788621..bdf1a69 100644
--- a/fs/aufs/opts.h
+++ b/fs/aufs/opts.h
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ static inline unsigned int au_opts_plink(unsigned int mntflags)
 
 /* policies to select one among multiple writable branches */
 enum {
-	AuWbrCreate_TDP,	/* top down parent */
+	AuWbrCreate_TDP_B,	/* top down parent, fallback "buttom up" */
+	AuWbrCreate_TDP_T,	/* top down parent, fallback "top down" */
 	AuWbrCreate_RR,		/* round robin */
 	AuWbrCreate_MFS,	/* most free space */
 	AuWbrCreate_MFSV,	/* mfs with seconds */
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ enum {
 	AuWbrCreate_PMFS,	/* parent and mfs */
 	AuWbrCreate_PMFSV,	/* parent and mfs with seconds */
 
-	AuWbrCreate_Def = AuWbrCreate_TDP
+	AuWbrCreate_Def = AuWbrCreate_TDP_B
 };
 
 enum {
diff --git a/fs/aufs/super.c b/fs/aufs/super.c
index 1afab45..25a227d 100644
--- a/fs/aufs/super.c
+++ b/fs/aufs/super.c
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ static void au_show_wbr_create(struct seq_file *m, int v,
 	seq_printf(m, ",create=");
 	pat = au_optstr_wbr_create(v);
 	switch (v) {
-	case AuWbrCreate_TDP:
+	case AuWbrCreate_TDP_B:
+	case AuWbrCreate_TDP_T:
 	case AuWbrCreate_RR:
 	case AuWbrCreate_MFS:
 	case AuWbrCreate_PMFS:
diff --git a/fs/aufs/wbr_policy.c b/fs/aufs/wbr_policy.c
index 7503ac3..be87c9f 100644
--- a/fs/aufs/wbr_policy.c
+++ b/fs/aufs/wbr_policy.c
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ static int au_wbr_bu(struct super_block *sb, aufs_bindex_t bindex)
 }
 
 /* top down parent */
-static int au_wbr_create_tdp(struct dentry *dentry, int isdir __maybe_unused)
+static int au_wbr_do_create_tdp(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	int err;
 	aufs_bindex_t bstart, bindex;
@@ -295,12 +295,49 @@ static int au_wbr_create_tdp(struct dentry *dentry, int isdir __maybe_unused)
 	}
 	dput(parent);
 
-	/* bottom up here */
-	if (unlikely(err < 0)) {
-		err = au_wbr_bu(sb, bstart - 1);
-		if (err >= 0)
-			err = au_wbr_nonopq(dentry, err);
-	}
+out:
+	AuDbg("b%d\n", err);
+	return err;
+}
+
+/* top down parent:bottom up */
+static int au_wbr_create_tdp_b(struct dentry *dentry, int isdir __maybe_unused)
+{
+	int err;
+	aufs_bindex_t bstart;
+
+	err = au_wbr_do_create_tdp(dentry);
+	if (err >= 0)
+		goto out;
+
+	bstart = au_dbstart(dentry);
+	err = au_wbr_bu(dentry->d_sb, bstart - 1);
+	if (err >= 0)
+		err = au_wbr_nonopq(dentry, err);
+
+out:
+	AuDbg("b%d\n", err);
+	return err;
+}
+
+/* top down parent:top down */
+static int au_wbr_create_tdp_t(struct dentry *dentry, int isdir __maybe_unused)
+{
+	int err;
+	aufs_bindex_t bindex, bend;
+	struct super_block *sb;
+
+	err = au_wbr_do_create_tdp(dentry);
+	if (err >= 0)
+		goto out;
+
+	sb = dentry->d_sb;
+	bend = au_sbend(sb);
+	for (bindex = 0; bindex <= bend; bindex++)
+		if (!au_br_rdonly(au_sbr(sb, bindex))) {
+			err = bindex;
+			break;
+		}
 
 out:
 	AuDbg("b%d\n", err);
@@ -543,7 +580,8 @@ static int au_wbr_create_pmfs(struct dentry *dentry, int isdir)
 	struct dentry *parent, *h_parent;
 	struct au_branch *br;
 
-	err = au_wbr_create_tdp(dentry, isdir);
+	/* should we support tdp_t too? */
+	err = au_wbr_create_tdp_b(dentry, isdir);
 	if (unlikely(err < 0))
 		goto out;
 	parent = dget_parent(dentry);
@@ -592,7 +630,8 @@ out:
 /* top down parent */
 static int au_wbr_copyup_tdp(struct dentry *dentry)
 {
-	return au_wbr_create_tdp(dentry, /*isdir, anything is ok*/0);
+	/* should we support tdp_t too? */
+	return au_wbr_create_tdp_b(dentry, /*isdir, anything is ok*/0);
 }
 
 /* bottom up parent */
@@ -658,8 +697,11 @@ struct au_wbr_copyup_operations au_wbr_copyup_ops[] = {
 };
 
 struct au_wbr_create_operations au_wbr_create_ops[] = {
-	[AuWbrCreate_TDP] = {
-		.create	= au_wbr_create_tdp
+	[AuWbrCreate_TDP_B] = {
+		.create	= au_wbr_create_tdp_b
+	},
+	[AuWbrCreate_TDP_T] = {
+		.create	= au_wbr_create_tdp_t
 	},
 	[AuWbrCreate_RR] = {
 		.create	= au_wbr_create_rr,