diff --git a/mm/oom_kill.c b/mm/oom_kill.c
index 26add8a0d1f7..a501a0a1f0f8 100644
--- a/mm/oom_kill.c
+++ b/mm/oom_kill.c
@@ -640,9 +640,6 @@ static int oom_reaper(void *unused)
 
 static void wake_oom_reaper(struct task_struct *tsk)
 {
-	if (!oom_reaper_th)
-		return;
-
 	/* tsk is already queued? */
 	if (tsk == oom_reaper_list || tsk->oom_reaper_list)
 		return;
@@ -660,11 +657,6 @@ static void wake_oom_reaper(struct task_struct *tsk)
 static int __init oom_init(void)
 {
 	oom_reaper_th = kthread_run(oom_reaper, NULL, "oom_reaper");
-	if (IS_ERR(oom_reaper_th)) {
-		pr_err("Unable to start OOM reaper %ld. Continuing regardless\n",
-				PTR_ERR(oom_reaper_th));
-		oom_reaper_th = NULL;
-	}
 	return 0;
 }
 subsys_initcall(oom_init)