diff --git a/kernel/trace/ring_buffer.c b/kernel/trace/ring_buffer.c
index bf27bb7..7c0168a 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/ring_buffer.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/ring_buffer.c
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@
 	spinlock_t			reader_lock; /* serialize readers */
 	raw_spinlock_t			lock;
 	struct lock_class_key		lock_key;
-	struct list_head		pages;
+	struct list_head		*pages;
 	struct buffer_page		*head_page;	/* read from head */
 	struct buffer_page		*tail_page;	/* write to tail */
 	struct buffer_page		*commit_page;	/* committed pages */
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@
  */
 static int rb_check_pages(struct ring_buffer_per_cpu *cpu_buffer)
 {
-	struct list_head *head = &cpu_buffer->pages;
+	struct list_head *head = cpu_buffer->pages;
 	struct buffer_page *bpage, *tmp;
 
 	if (RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, head->next->prev != head))
@@ -521,12 +521,13 @@
 static int rb_allocate_pages(struct ring_buffer_per_cpu *cpu_buffer,
 			     unsigned nr_pages)
 {
-	struct list_head *head = &cpu_buffer->pages;
 	struct buffer_page *bpage, *tmp;
 	unsigned long addr;
 	LIST_HEAD(pages);
 	unsigned i;
 
+	WARN_ON(!nr_pages);
+
 	for (i = 0; i < nr_pages; i++) {
 		bpage = kzalloc_node(ALIGN(sizeof(*bpage), cache_line_size()),
 				    GFP_KERNEL, cpu_to_node(cpu_buffer->cpu));
@@ -541,7 +542,13 @@
 		rb_init_page(bpage->page);
 	}
 
-	list_splice(&pages, head);
+	/*
+	 * The ring buffer page list is a circular list that does not
+	 * start and end with a list head. All page list items point to
+	 * other pages.
+	 */
+	cpu_buffer->pages = pages.next;
+	list_del(&pages);
 
 	rb_check_pages(cpu_buffer);
 
@@ -573,7 +580,6 @@
 	spin_lock_init(&cpu_buffer->reader_lock);
 	lockdep_set_class(&cpu_buffer->reader_lock, buffer->reader_lock_key);
 	cpu_buffer->lock = (raw_spinlock_t)__RAW_SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED;
-	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&cpu_buffer->pages);
 
 	bpage = kzalloc_node(ALIGN(sizeof(*bpage), cache_line_size()),
 			    GFP_KERNEL, cpu_to_node(cpu));
@@ -594,7 +600,7 @@
 		goto fail_free_reader;
 
 	cpu_buffer->head_page
-		= list_entry(cpu_buffer->pages.next, struct buffer_page, list);
+		= list_entry(cpu_buffer->pages, struct buffer_page, list);
 	cpu_buffer->tail_page = cpu_buffer->commit_page = cpu_buffer->head_page;
 
 	return cpu_buffer;
@@ -609,15 +615,20 @@
 
 static void rb_free_cpu_buffer(struct ring_buffer_per_cpu *cpu_buffer)
 {
-	struct list_head *head = &cpu_buffer->pages;
+	struct list_head *head = cpu_buffer->pages;
 	struct buffer_page *bpage, *tmp;
 
 	free_buffer_page(cpu_buffer->reader_page);
 
-	list_for_each_entry_safe(bpage, tmp, head, list) {
-		list_del_init(&bpage->list);
+	if (head) {
+		list_for_each_entry_safe(bpage, tmp, head, list) {
+			list_del_init(&bpage->list);
+			free_buffer_page(bpage);
+		}
+		bpage = list_entry(head, struct buffer_page, list);
 		free_buffer_page(bpage);
 	}
+
 	kfree(cpu_buffer);
 }
 
@@ -760,14 +771,14 @@
 	synchronize_sched();
 
 	for (i = 0; i < nr_pages; i++) {
-		if (RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, list_empty(&cpu_buffer->pages)))
+		if (RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, list_empty(cpu_buffer->pages)))
 			return;
-		p = cpu_buffer->pages.next;
+		p = cpu_buffer->pages->next;
 		bpage = list_entry(p, struct buffer_page, list);
 		list_del_init(&bpage->list);
 		free_buffer_page(bpage);
 	}
-	if (RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, list_empty(&cpu_buffer->pages)))
+	if (RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, list_empty(cpu_buffer->pages)))
 		return;
 
 	rb_reset_cpu(cpu_buffer);
@@ -795,7 +806,7 @@
 		p = pages->next;
 		bpage = list_entry(p, struct buffer_page, list);
 		list_del_init(&bpage->list);
-		list_add_tail(&bpage->list, &cpu_buffer->pages);
+		list_add_tail(&bpage->list, cpu_buffer->pages);
 	}
 	rb_reset_cpu(cpu_buffer);
 
@@ -992,9 +1003,6 @@
 {
 	struct list_head *p = (*bpage)->list.next;
 
-	if (p == &cpu_buffer->pages)
-		p = p->next;
-
 	*bpage = list_entry(p, struct buffer_page, list);
 }
 
@@ -2247,6 +2255,13 @@
 	cpu_buffer->reader_page->list.next = reader->list.next;
 	cpu_buffer->reader_page->list.prev = reader->list.prev;
 
+	/*
+	 * cpu_buffer->pages just needs to point to the buffer, it
+	 *  has no specific buffer page to point to. Lets move it out
+	 *  of our way so we don't accidently swap it.
+	 */
+	cpu_buffer->pages = reader->list.prev;
+
 	local_set(&cpu_buffer->reader_page->write, 0);
 	local_set(&cpu_buffer->reader_page->entries, 0);
 	local_set(&cpu_buffer->reader_page->page->commit, 0);
@@ -2719,7 +2734,7 @@
 rb_reset_cpu(struct ring_buffer_per_cpu *cpu_buffer)
 {
 	cpu_buffer->head_page
-		= list_entry(cpu_buffer->pages.next, struct buffer_page, list);
+		= list_entry(cpu_buffer->pages, struct buffer_page, list);
 	local_set(&cpu_buffer->head_page->write, 0);
 	local_set(&cpu_buffer->head_page->entries, 0);
 	local_set(&cpu_buffer->head_page->page->commit, 0);