diff --git a/keventd/rules.c b/keventd/rules.c
index 2ef4a9f2..d1a7c8d3 100644
--- a/keventd/rules.c
+++ b/keventd/rules.c
@@ -602,12 +602,12 @@ static void subst_value(const char *src, char *buf, size_t bufsz,
 
 						if (al >= sizeof(attr))
 							al = sizeof(attr) - 1;
-						memcpy(attr, as, al);
-						attr[al] = 0;
-						if (!sysfs_read_attr(ev->devpath, attr,
-								     tmp, sizeof(tmp)))
-							append_str(buf, &pos, bufsz, tmp);
-						p = ae + 1;
+					memcpy(attr, as, al);
+					attr[al] = 0;
+					if (!sysfs_read_attr_chain(ev->devpath, attr,
+								   tmp, sizeof(tmp)))
+						append_str(buf, &pos, bufsz, tmp);
+					p = ae + 1;
 					} else {
 						buf[pos++] = '%'; buf[pos] = 0;
 					}
@@ -681,7 +681,8 @@ static void subst_value(const char *src, char *buf, size_t bufsz,
 						al = sizeof(attr) - 1;
 					memcpy(attr, as, al);
 					attr[al] = 0;
-					if (!sysfs_read_attr(ev->devpath, attr, tmp, sizeof(tmp)))
+					if (!sysfs_read_attr_chain(ev->devpath, attr,
+								   tmp, sizeof(tmp)))
 						append_str(buf, &pos, bufsz, tmp);
 					p = ae + 1;
 				} else {
diff --git a/keventd/sysfs.c b/keventd/sysfs.c
index a9e88326..763f2791 100644
--- a/keventd/sysfs.c
+++ b/keventd/sysfs.c
@@ -61,6 +61,41 @@ int sysfs_read_attr(const char *devpath, const char *attr,
 	return sysfs_read_file(path, buf, len);
 }
 
+struct attr_ctx {
+	const char *attr;
+	char       *buf;
+	size_t      len;
+};
+
+static int attr_cb(const char *syspath, void *data)
+{
+	struct attr_ctx *ctx = data;
+	char path[PATH_MAX];
+
+	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "%s/%s", syspath, ctx->attr);
+	if (sysfs_read_file(path, ctx->buf, ctx->len) == 0)
+		return 0;	/* found, stop walking */
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
+int sysfs_read_attr_chain(const char *devpath, const char *attr,
+			  char *buf, size_t len)
+{
+	struct attr_ctx ctx = { attr, buf, len };
+
+	if (!devpath || !attr || !*attr)
+		return -1;
+
+	/* Device itself first then walk up toward the parent devices */
+	if (sysfs_read_attr(devpath, attr, buf, len) == 0)
+		return 0;
+
+	sysfs_parent_walk(devpath, attr_cb, &ctx);
+
+	return buf[0] ? 0 : -1;
+}
+
 int sysfs_parent_walk(const char *devpath,
 		      int (*cb)(const char *syspath, void *data),
 		      void *data)
diff --git a/keventd/sysfs.h b/keventd/sysfs.h
index 576a7914..64713862 100644
--- a/keventd/sysfs.h
+++ b/keventd/sysfs.h
@@ -40,6 +40,15 @@ int sysfs_read_file(const char *path, char *buf, size_t len);
 int sysfs_read_attr(const char *devpath, const char *attr,
 		    char *buf, size_t len);
 
+/*
+ * Read a sysfs attribute for the device at /sys{devpath}, falling back
+ * to the parent chain, partitions have no "serial" of their own, it
+ * lives in the parent disk's sysfs directory.
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 if no level of the chain has the attribute.
+ */
+int sysfs_read_attr_chain(const char *devpath, const char *attr,
+			  char *buf, size_t len);
+
 /*
  * Walk the sysfs device tree upward from devpath toward /sys/devices,
  * calling cb at each level.  cb receives the absolute syspath and the