diff --git a/mm/percpu.c b/mm/percpu.c
index 30e683f42861..7d038393d8f5 100644
--- a/mm/percpu.c
+++ b/mm/percpu.c
@@ -1959,6 +1959,7 @@ void free_percpu(void __percpu *ptr)
 	struct pcpu_chunk *chunk;
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int off;
+	bool need_balance = false;
 
 	if (!ptr)
 		return;
@@ -1980,7 +1981,7 @@ void free_percpu(void __percpu *ptr)
 
 		list_for_each_entry(pos, &pcpu_slot[pcpu_nr_slots - 1], list)
 			if (pos != chunk) {
-				pcpu_schedule_balance_work();
+				need_balance = true;
 				break;
 			}
 	}
@@ -1988,6 +1989,9 @@ void free_percpu(void __percpu *ptr)
 	trace_percpu_free_percpu(chunk->base_addr, off, ptr);
 
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&pcpu_lock, flags);
+
+	if (need_balance)
+		pcpu_schedule_balance_work();
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(free_percpu);