diff --git a/kernel/rcu/tree.c b/kernel/rcu/tree.c
index 48d640ca1a05..f8cdb92da10b 100644
--- a/kernel/rcu/tree.c
+++ b/kernel/rcu/tree.c
@@ -1328,19 +1328,29 @@ void rcu_cpu_stall_reset(void)
 }
 
 /*
- * Initialize the specified rcu_data structure's callback list to empty.
+ * Initialize the specified rcu_data structure's default callback list
+ * to empty.  The default callback list is the one that is not used by
+ * no-callbacks CPUs.
  */
-static void init_callback_list(struct rcu_data *rdp)
+static void init_default_callback_list(struct rcu_data *rdp)
 {
 	int i;
 
-	if (init_nocb_callback_list(rdp))
-		return;
 	rdp->nxtlist = NULL;
 	for (i = 0; i < RCU_NEXT_SIZE; i++)
 		rdp->nxttail[i] = &rdp->nxtlist;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Initialize the specified rcu_data structure's callback list to empty.
+ */
+static void init_callback_list(struct rcu_data *rdp)
+{
+	if (init_nocb_callback_list(rdp))
+		return;
+	init_default_callback_list(rdp);
+}
+
 /*
  * Determine the value that ->completed will have at the end of the
  * next subsequent grace period.  This is used to tag callbacks so that