diff --git a/fs/pidfs.c b/fs/pidfs.c
index 80675b6bf884..52b7e4f76732 100644
--- a/fs/pidfs.c
+++ b/fs/pidfs.c
@@ -95,20 +95,21 @@ static void pidfd_show_fdinfo(struct seq_file *m, struct file *f)
 static __poll_t pidfd_poll(struct file *file, struct poll_table_struct *pts)
 {
 	struct pid *pid = pidfd_pid(file);
-	bool thread = file->f_flags & PIDFD_THREAD;
 	struct task_struct *task;
 	__poll_t poll_flags = 0;
 
 	poll_wait(file, &pid->wait_pidfd, pts);
 	/*
-	 * Depending on PIDFD_THREAD, inform pollers when the thread
-	 * or the whole thread-group exits.
+	 * Don't wake waiters if the thread-group leader exited
+	 * prematurely. They either get notified when the last subthread
+	 * exits or not at all if one of the remaining subthreads execs
+	 * and assumes the struct pid of the old thread-group leader.
 	 */
 	guard(rcu)();
 	task = pid_task(pid, PIDTYPE_PID);
 	if (!task)
 		poll_flags = EPOLLIN | EPOLLRDNORM | EPOLLHUP;
-	else if (task->exit_state && (thread || thread_group_empty(task)))
+	else if (task->exit_state && !delay_group_leader(task))
 		poll_flags = EPOLLIN | EPOLLRDNORM;
 
 	return poll_flags;
diff --git a/kernel/exit.c b/kernel/exit.c
index 619f0014c33b..56b8bd9487b4 100644
--- a/kernel/exit.c
+++ b/kernel/exit.c
@@ -742,10 +742,10 @@ static void exit_notify(struct task_struct *tsk, int group_dead)
 
 	tsk->exit_state = EXIT_ZOMBIE;
 	/*
-	 * sub-thread or delay_group_leader(), wake up the
-	 * PIDFD_THREAD waiters.
+	 * Ignore thread-group leaders that exited before all
+	 * subthreads did.
 	 */
-	if (!thread_group_empty(tsk))
+	if (!delay_group_leader(tsk))
 		do_notify_pidfd(tsk);
 
 	if (unlikely(tsk->ptrace)) {
diff --git a/kernel/signal.c b/kernel/signal.c
index 2ae45e6eb6bb..468b589c39e6 100644
--- a/kernel/signal.c
+++ b/kernel/signal.c
@@ -2063,8 +2063,7 @@ bool do_notify_parent(struct task_struct *tsk, int sig)
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(!tsk->ptrace &&
 	       (tsk->group_leader != tsk || !thread_group_empty(tsk)));
 	/*
-	 * tsk is a group leader and has no threads, wake up the
-	 * non-PIDFD_THREAD waiters.
+	 * Notify for thread-group leaders without subthreads.
 	 */
 	if (thread_group_empty(tsk))
 		do_notify_pidfd(tsk);