diff --git a/include/linux/sched.h b/include/linux/sched.h
index e2e91960d79f..8e43e54a02c7 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched.h
@@ -1147,7 +1147,10 @@ struct task_struct {
 
 	struct tlbflush_unmap_batch	tlb_ubc;
 
-	struct rcu_head			rcu;
+	union {
+		refcount_t		rcu_users;
+		struct rcu_head		rcu;
+	};
 
 	/* Cache last used pipe for splice(): */
 	struct pipe_inode_info		*splice_pipe;
diff --git a/include/linux/sched/task.h b/include/linux/sched/task.h
index 3d90ed8f75f0..153a683646ac 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched/task.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched/task.h
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ static inline void put_task_struct(struct task_struct *t)
 }
 
 struct task_struct *task_rcu_dereference(struct task_struct **ptask);
+void put_task_struct_rcu_user(struct task_struct *task);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_WANTS_DYNAMIC_TASK_STRUCT
 extern int arch_task_struct_size __read_mostly;
diff --git a/kernel/exit.c b/kernel/exit.c
index 22ab6a4bdc51..3bcaec2ea3ba 100644
--- a/kernel/exit.c
+++ b/kernel/exit.c
@@ -182,6 +182,11 @@ static void delayed_put_task_struct(struct rcu_head *rhp)
 	put_task_struct(tsk);
 }
 
+void put_task_struct_rcu_user(struct task_struct *task)
+{
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&task->rcu_users))
+		call_rcu(&task->rcu, delayed_put_task_struct);
+}
 
 void release_task(struct task_struct *p)
 {
@@ -222,7 +227,7 @@ repeat:
 
 	write_unlock_irq(&tasklist_lock);
 	release_thread(p);
-	call_rcu(&p->rcu, delayed_put_task_struct);
+	put_task_struct_rcu_user(p);
 
 	p = leader;
 	if (unlikely(zap_leader))
diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
index 1d1cd06edbc1..7eefe338d7a2 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -902,10 +902,9 @@ static struct task_struct *dup_task_struct(struct task_struct *orig, int node)
 	if (orig->cpus_ptr == &orig->cpus_mask)
 		tsk->cpus_ptr = &tsk->cpus_mask;
 
-	/*
-	 * One for us, one for whoever does the "release_task()" (usually
-	 * parent)
-	 */
+	/* One for the user space visible state that goes away when reaped. */
+	refcount_set(&tsk->rcu_users, 1);
+	/* One for the rcu users, and one for the scheduler */
 	refcount_set(&tsk->usage, 2);
 #ifdef CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IO_TRACE
 	tsk->btrace_seq = 0;