diff --git a/include/qemu/rcu.h b/include/qemu/rcu.h
index c0da9907e8..f19413d649 100644
--- a/include/qemu/rcu.h
+++ b/include/qemu/rcu.h
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ extern void rcu_unregister_thread(void);
  */
 extern void rcu_enable_atfork(void);
 extern void rcu_disable_atfork(void);
-extern void rcu_after_fork(void);
 
 struct rcu_head;
 typedef void RCUCBFunc(struct rcu_head *head);
diff --git a/linux-user/syscall.c b/linux-user/syscall.c
index 54343c06be..9b6364a266 100644
--- a/linux-user/syscall.c
+++ b/linux-user/syscall.c
@@ -6354,7 +6354,6 @@ static int do_fork(CPUArchState *env, unsigned int flags, abi_ulong newsp,
         ret = fork();
         if (ret == 0) {
             /* Child Process.  */
-            rcu_after_fork();
             cpu_clone_regs(env, newsp);
             fork_end(1);
             /* There is a race condition here.  The parent process could
diff --git a/os-posix.c b/os-posix.c
index c6ddb7d830..92e9d85215 100644
--- a/os-posix.c
+++ b/os-posix.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 #include "net/slirp.h"
 #include "qemu-options.h"
-#include "qemu/rcu.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/log.h"
 #include "qemu/cutils.h"
@@ -249,7 +248,6 @@ void os_daemonize(void)
         signal(SIGTSTP, SIG_IGN);
         signal(SIGTTOU, SIG_IGN);
         signal(SIGTTIN, SIG_IGN);
-        rcu_after_fork();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/util/rcu.c b/util/rcu.c
index 2142ddd93b..ca5a63e36a 100644
--- a/util/rcu.c
+++ b/util/rcu.c
@@ -350,18 +350,22 @@ static void rcu_init_unlock(void)
     qemu_mutex_unlock(&rcu_registry_lock);
     qemu_mutex_unlock(&rcu_sync_lock);
 }
-#endif
 
-void rcu_after_fork(void)
+static void rcu_init_child(void)
 {
+    if (atfork_depth < 1) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     memset(&registry, 0, sizeof(registry));
     rcu_init_complete();
 }
+#endif
 
 static void __attribute__((__constructor__)) rcu_init(void)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_POSIX
-    pthread_atfork(rcu_init_lock, rcu_init_unlock, rcu_init_unlock);
+    pthread_atfork(rcu_init_lock, rcu_init_unlock, rcu_init_child);
 #endif
     rcu_init_complete();
 }