diff --git a/kernel/events/core.c b/kernel/events/core.c
index 4aa64a85a7b7..0d58522103cd 100644
--- a/kernel/events/core.c
+++ b/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -9206,7 +9206,7 @@ static void perf_event_init_cpu(int cpu)
 	struct swevent_htable *swhash = &per_cpu(swevent_htable, cpu);
 
 	mutex_lock(&swhash->hlist_mutex);
-	if (swhash->hlist_refcount > 0) {
+	if (swhash->hlist_refcount > 0 && !swevent_hlist_deref(swhash)) {
 		struct swevent_hlist *hlist;
 
 		hlist = kzalloc_node(sizeof(*hlist), GFP_KERNEL, cpu_to_node(cpu));