diff --git a/fs/eventpoll.c b/fs/eventpoll.c
index c5a9a483fb53..3dde4122dd81 100644
--- a/fs/eventpoll.c
+++ b/fs/eventpoll.c
@@ -740,7 +740,8 @@ static bool __ep_remove(struct eventpoll *ep, struct epitem *epi, bool force)
 	to_free = NULL;
 	head = file->f_ep;
 	if (head->first == &epi->fllink && !epi->fllink.next) {
-		file->f_ep = NULL;
+		/* See eventpoll_release() for details. */
+		WRITE_ONCE(file->f_ep, NULL);
 		if (!is_file_epoll(file)) {
 			struct epitems_head *v;
 			v = container_of(head, struct epitems_head, epitems);
@@ -1497,7 +1498,8 @@ allocate:
 			spin_unlock(&file->f_lock);
 			goto allocate;
 		}
-		file->f_ep = head;
+		/* See eventpoll_release() for details. */
+		WRITE_ONCE(file->f_ep, head);
 		to_free = NULL;
 	}
 	hlist_add_head_rcu(&epi->fllink, file->f_ep);
diff --git a/include/linux/eventpoll.h b/include/linux/eventpoll.h
index 3337745d81bd..0c0d00fcd131 100644
--- a/include/linux/eventpoll.h
+++ b/include/linux/eventpoll.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static inline void eventpoll_release(struct file *file)
 	 * because the file in on the way to be removed and nobody ( but
 	 * eventpoll ) has still a reference to this file.
 	 */
-	if (likely(!file->f_ep))
+	if (likely(!READ_ONCE(file->f_ep)))
 		return;
 
 	/*