diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/ptrace.c b/arch/x86/kernel/ptrace.c
index 39296d25708c..bbf338a04a5d 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/ptrace.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/ptrace.c
@@ -1449,7 +1449,12 @@ long syscall_trace_enter(struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
 	long ret = 0;
 
-	user_exit();
+	/*
+	 * If TIF_NOHZ is set, we are required to call user_exit() before
+	 * doing anything that could touch RCU.
+	 */
+	if (test_thread_flag(TIF_NOHZ))
+		user_exit();
 
 	/*
 	 * If we stepped into a sysenter/syscall insn, it trapped in