diff --git a/include/linux/posix-timers.h b/include/linux/posix-timers.h
index b20798fc5191..604cec0e41ba 100644
--- a/include/linux/posix-timers.h
+++ b/include/linux/posix-timers.h
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ static inline int clockid_to_fd(const clockid_t clk)
  * @it_process:		The task to wakeup on clock_nanosleep (CPU timers)
  * @sigq:		Pointer to preallocated sigqueue
  * @it:			Union representing the various posix timer type
- *			internals. Also used for rcu freeing the timer.
+ *			internals.
+ * @rcu:		RCU head for freeing the timer.
  */
 struct k_itimer {
 	struct list_head	list;
@@ -114,8 +115,8 @@ struct k_itimer {
 		struct {
 			struct alarm	alarmtimer;
 		} alarm;
-		struct rcu_head		rcu;
 	} it;
+	struct rcu_head		rcu;
 };
 
 void run_posix_cpu_timers(struct task_struct *task);
diff --git a/kernel/time/posix-timers.c b/kernel/time/posix-timers.c
index bbe8f9686a70..3e663f982c82 100644
--- a/kernel/time/posix-timers.c
+++ b/kernel/time/posix-timers.c
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ static struct k_itimer * alloc_posix_timer(void)
 
 static void k_itimer_rcu_free(struct rcu_head *head)
 {
-	struct k_itimer *tmr = container_of(head, struct k_itimer, it.rcu);
+	struct k_itimer *tmr = container_of(head, struct k_itimer, rcu);
 
 	kmem_cache_free(posix_timers_cache, tmr);
 }
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ static void release_posix_timer(struct k_itimer *tmr, int it_id_set)
 	}
 	put_pid(tmr->it_pid);
 	sigqueue_free(tmr->sigq);
-	call_rcu(&tmr->it.rcu, k_itimer_rcu_free);
+	call_rcu(&tmr->rcu, k_itimer_rcu_free);
 }
 
 static int common_timer_create(struct k_itimer *new_timer)