diff --git a/fs/file.c b/fs/file.c
index 3b683b9101d8..f2eab5fcb87f 100644
--- a/fs/file.c
+++ b/fs/file.c
@@ -1115,18 +1115,25 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(task_lookup_next_fdget_rcu);
 /*
  * Lightweight file lookup - no refcnt increment if fd table isn't shared.
  *
  * You can use this instead of fget if you satisfy all of the following
  * conditions:
  * 1) You must call fput_light before exiting the syscall and returning control
  *    to userspace (i.e. you cannot remember the returned struct file * after
  *    returning to userspace).
  * 2) You must not call filp_close on the returned struct file * in between
  *    calls to fget_light and fput_light.
  * 3) You must not clone the current task in between the calls to fget_light
  *    and fput_light.
  *
  * The fput_needed flag returned by fget_light should be passed to the
  * corresponding fput_light.
+ *
+ * (As an exception to rule 2, you can call filp_close between fget_light and
+ * fput_light provided that you capture a real refcount with get_file before
+ * the call to filp_close, and ensure that this real refcount is fput *after*
+ * the fput_light call.)
+ *
+ * See also the documentation in rust/kernel/file.rs.
  */
 static unsigned long __fget_light(unsigned int fd, fmode_t mask)
 {
diff --git a/rust/bindings/bindings_helper.h b/rust/bindings/bindings_helper.h
index 936651110c39..41fcd2905ed4 100644
--- a/rust/bindings/bindings_helper.h
+++ b/rust/bindings/bindings_helper.h
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 #include <kunit/test.h>
 #include <linux/errname.h>
 #include <linux/ethtool.h>
+#include <linux/file.h>
+#include <linux/fs.h>
 #include <linux/jiffies.h>
 #include <linux/mdio.h>
 #include <linux/phy.h>
diff --git a/rust/helpers.c b/rust/helpers.c
index 70e59efd92bc..03141a3608a4 100644
--- a/rust/helpers.c
+++ b/rust/helpers.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <linux/build_bug.h>
 #include <linux/err.h>
 #include <linux/errname.h>
+#include <linux/fs.h>
 #include <linux/mutex.h>
 #include <linux/refcount.h>
 #include <linux/sched/signal.h>
@@ -157,6 +158,12 @@ void rust_helper_init_work_with_key(struct work_struct *work, work_func_t func,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rust_helper_init_work_with_key);
 
+struct file *rust_helper_get_file(struct file *f)
+{
+	return get_file(f);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rust_helper_get_file);
+
 /*
  * `bindgen` binds the C `size_t` type as the Rust `usize` type, so we can
  * use it in contexts where Rust expects a `usize` like slice (array) indices.
diff --git a/rust/kernel/file.rs b/rust/kernel/file.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0d6ef32009c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/kernel/file.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,249 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+//! Files and file descriptors.
+//!
+//! C headers: [`include/linux/fs.h`](srctree/include/linux/fs.h) and
+//! [`include/linux/file.h`](srctree/include/linux/file.h)
+
+use crate::{
+    bindings,
+    error::{code::*, Error, Result},
+    types::{ARef, AlwaysRefCounted, Opaque},
+};
+use core::ptr;
+
+/// Flags associated with a [`File`].
+pub mod flags {
+    /// File is opened in append mode.
+    pub const O_APPEND: u32 = bindings::O_APPEND;
+
+    /// Signal-driven I/O is enabled.
+    pub const O_ASYNC: u32 = bindings::FASYNC;
+
+    /// Close-on-exec flag is set.
+    pub const O_CLOEXEC: u32 = bindings::O_CLOEXEC;
+
+    /// File was created if it didn't already exist.
+    pub const O_CREAT: u32 = bindings::O_CREAT;
+
+    /// Direct I/O is enabled for this file.
+    pub const O_DIRECT: u32 = bindings::O_DIRECT;
+
+    /// File must be a directory.
+    pub const O_DIRECTORY: u32 = bindings::O_DIRECTORY;
+
+    /// Like [`O_SYNC`] except metadata is not synced.
+    pub const O_DSYNC: u32 = bindings::O_DSYNC;
+
+    /// Ensure that this file is created with the `open(2)` call.
+    pub const O_EXCL: u32 = bindings::O_EXCL;
+
+    /// Large file size enabled (`off64_t` over `off_t`).
+    pub const O_LARGEFILE: u32 = bindings::O_LARGEFILE;
+
+    /// Do not update the file last access time.
+    pub const O_NOATIME: u32 = bindings::O_NOATIME;
+
+    /// File should not be used as process's controlling terminal.
+    pub const O_NOCTTY: u32 = bindings::O_NOCTTY;
+
+    /// If basename of path is a symbolic link, fail open.
+    pub const O_NOFOLLOW: u32 = bindings::O_NOFOLLOW;
+
+    /// File is using nonblocking I/O.
+    pub const O_NONBLOCK: u32 = bindings::O_NONBLOCK;
+
+    /// Also known as `O_NDELAY`.
+    ///
+    /// This is effectively the same flag as [`O_NONBLOCK`] on all architectures
+    /// except SPARC64.
+    pub const O_NDELAY: u32 = bindings::O_NDELAY;
+
+    /// Used to obtain a path file descriptor.
+    pub const O_PATH: u32 = bindings::O_PATH;
+
+    /// Write operations on this file will flush data and metadata.
+    pub const O_SYNC: u32 = bindings::O_SYNC;
+
+    /// This file is an unnamed temporary regular file.
+    pub const O_TMPFILE: u32 = bindings::O_TMPFILE;
+
+    /// File should be truncated to length 0.
+    pub const O_TRUNC: u32 = bindings::O_TRUNC;
+
+    /// Bitmask for access mode flags.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// use kernel::file;
+    /// # fn do_something() {}
+    /// # let flags = 0;
+    /// if (flags & file::flags::O_ACCMODE) == file::flags::O_RDONLY {
+    ///     do_something();
+    /// }
+    /// ```
+    pub const O_ACCMODE: u32 = bindings::O_ACCMODE;
+
+    /// File is read only.
+    pub const O_RDONLY: u32 = bindings::O_RDONLY;
+
+    /// File is write only.
+    pub const O_WRONLY: u32 = bindings::O_WRONLY;
+
+    /// File can be both read and written.
+    pub const O_RDWR: u32 = bindings::O_RDWR;
+}
+
+/// Wraps the kernel's `struct file`.
+///
+/// # Refcounting
+///
+/// Instances of this type are reference-counted. The reference count is incremented by the
+/// `fget`/`get_file` functions and decremented by `fput`. The Rust type `ARef<File>` represents a
+/// pointer that owns a reference count on the file.
+///
+/// Whenever a process opens a file descriptor (fd), it stores a pointer to the file in its `struct
+/// files_struct`. This pointer owns a reference count to the file, ensuring the file isn't
+/// prematurely deleted while the file descriptor is open. In Rust terminology, the pointers in
+/// `struct files_struct` are `ARef<File>` pointers.
+///
+/// ## Light refcounts
+///
+/// Whenever a process has an fd to a file, it may use something called a "light refcount" as a
+/// performance optimization. Light refcounts are acquired by calling `fdget` and released with
+/// `fdput`. The idea behind light refcounts is that if the fd is not closed between the calls to
+/// `fdget` and `fdput`, then the refcount cannot hit zero during that time, as the `struct
+/// files_struct` holds a reference until the fd is closed. This means that it's safe to access the
+/// file even if `fdget` does not increment the refcount.
+///
+/// The requirement that the fd is not closed during a light refcount applies globally across all
+/// threads - not just on the thread using the light refcount. For this reason, light refcounts are
+/// only used when the `struct files_struct` is not shared with other threads, since this ensures
+/// that other unrelated threads cannot suddenly start using the fd and close it. Therefore,
+/// calling `fdget` on a shared `struct files_struct` creates a normal refcount instead of a light
+/// refcount.
+///
+/// Light reference counts must be released with `fdput` before the system call returns to
+/// userspace. This means that if you wait until the current system call returns to userspace, then
+/// all light refcounts that existed at the time have gone away.
+///
+/// ## Rust references
+///
+/// The reference type `&File` is similar to light refcounts:
+///
+/// * `&File` references don't own a reference count. They can only exist as long as the reference
+///   count stays positive, and can only be created when there is some mechanism in place to ensure
+///   this.
+///
+/// * The Rust borrow-checker normally ensures this by enforcing that the `ARef<File>` from which
+///   a `&File` is created outlives the `&File`.
+///
+/// * Using the unsafe [`File::from_ptr`] means that it is up to the caller to ensure that the
+///   `&File` only exists while the reference count is positive.
+///
+/// * You can think of `fdget` as using an fd to look up an `ARef<File>` in the `struct
+///   files_struct` and create an `&File` from it. The "fd cannot be closed" rule is like the Rust
+///   rule "the `ARef<File>` must outlive the `&File`".
+///
+/// # Invariants
+///
+/// * Instances of this type are refcounted using the `f_count` field.
+/// * If an fd with active light refcounts is closed, then it must be the case that the file
+///   refcount is positive until all light refcounts of the fd have been dropped.
+/// * A light refcount must be dropped before returning to userspace.
+#[repr(transparent)]
+pub struct File(Opaque<bindings::file>);
+
+// SAFETY:
+// - `File::dec_ref` can be called from any thread.
+// - It is okay to send ownership of `File` across thread boundaries.
+unsafe impl Send for File {}
+
+// SAFETY: All methods defined on `File` that take `&self` are safe to call even if other threads
+// are concurrently accessing the same `struct file`, because those methods either access immutable
+// properties or have proper synchronization to ensure that such accesses are safe.
+unsafe impl Sync for File {}
+
+impl File {
+    /// Constructs a new `struct file` wrapper from a file descriptor.
+    ///
+    /// The file descriptor belongs to the current process.
+    pub fn fget(fd: u32) -> Result<ARef<Self>, BadFdError> {
+        // SAFETY: FFI call, there are no requirements on `fd`.
+        let ptr = ptr::NonNull::new(unsafe { bindings::fget(fd) }).ok_or(BadFdError)?;
+
+        // SAFETY: `bindings::fget` either returns null or a valid pointer to a file, and we
+        // checked for null above.
+        //
+        // INVARIANT: `bindings::fget` creates a refcount, and we pass ownership of the refcount to
+        // the new `ARef<File>`.
+        Ok(unsafe { ARef::from_raw(ptr.cast()) })
+    }
+
+    /// Creates a reference to a [`File`] from a valid pointer.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    ///
+    /// The caller must ensure that `ptr` points at a valid file and that the file's refcount is
+    /// positive for the duration of 'a.
+    pub unsafe fn from_ptr<'a>(ptr: *const bindings::file) -> &'a File {
+        // SAFETY: The caller guarantees that the pointer is not dangling and stays valid for the
+        // duration of 'a. The cast is okay because `File` is `repr(transparent)`.
+        //
+        // INVARIANT: The safety requirements guarantee that the refcount does not hit zero during
+        // 'a.
+        unsafe { &*ptr.cast() }
+    }
+
+    /// Returns a raw pointer to the inner C struct.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn as_ptr(&self) -> *mut bindings::file {
+        self.0.get()
+    }
+
+    /// Returns the flags associated with the file.
+    ///
+    /// The flags are a combination of the constants in [`flags`].
+    pub fn flags(&self) -> u32 {
+        // This `read_volatile` is intended to correspond to a READ_ONCE call.
+        //
+        // SAFETY: The file is valid because the shared reference guarantees a nonzero refcount.
+        //
+        // TODO: Replace with `read_once` when available on the Rust side.
+        unsafe { core::ptr::addr_of!((*self.as_ptr()).f_flags).read_volatile() }
+    }
+}
+
+// SAFETY: The type invariants guarantee that `File` is always ref-counted. This implementation
+// makes `ARef<File>` own a normal refcount.
+unsafe impl AlwaysRefCounted for File {
+    fn inc_ref(&self) {
+        // SAFETY: The existence of a shared reference means that the refcount is nonzero.
+        unsafe { bindings::get_file(self.as_ptr()) };
+    }
+
+    unsafe fn dec_ref(obj: ptr::NonNull<File>) {
+        // SAFETY: To call this method, the caller passes us ownership of a normal refcount, so we
+        // may drop it. The cast is okay since `File` has the same representation as `struct file`.
+        unsafe { bindings::fput(obj.cast().as_ptr()) }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Represents the `EBADF` error code.
+///
+/// Used for methods that can only fail with `EBADF`.
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub struct BadFdError;
+
+impl From<BadFdError> for Error {
+    fn from(_: BadFdError) -> Error {
+        EBADF
+    }
+}
+
+impl core::fmt::Debug for BadFdError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut core::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> core::fmt::Result {
+        f.pad("EBADF")
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rust/kernel/lib.rs b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
index b89ecf4e97a0..9353dd713a20 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/lib.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 mod allocator;
 mod build_assert;
 pub mod error;
+pub mod file;
 pub mod init;
 pub mod ioctl;
 #[cfg(CONFIG_KUNIT)]
