diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
index 871bf9cf55cf0..1d50e97d49f19 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq_governor.c
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ unsigned int dbs_update(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 			 * calls, so the previous load value can be used then.
 			 */
 			load = j_cdbs->prev_load;
-		} else if (unlikely(time_elapsed > 2 * sampling_rate &&
+		} else if (unlikely((int)idle_time > 2 * sampling_rate &&
 				    j_cdbs->prev_load)) {
 			/*
 			 * If the CPU had gone completely idle and a task has
@@ -185,10 +185,8 @@ unsigned int dbs_update(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 			 * clear prev_load to guarantee that the load will be
 			 * computed again next time.
 			 *
-			 * Detecting this situation is easy: the governor's
-			 * utilization update handler would not have run during
-			 * CPU-idle periods.  Hence, an unusually large
-			 * 'time_elapsed' (as compared to the sampling rate)
+			 * Detecting this situation is easy: an unusually large
+			 * 'idle_time' (as compared to the sampling rate)
 			 * indicates this scenario.
 			 */
 			load = j_cdbs->prev_load;
@@ -217,8 +215,8 @@ unsigned int dbs_update(struct cpufreq_policy *policy)
 			j_cdbs->prev_load = load;
 		}
 
-		if (time_elapsed > 2 * sampling_rate) {
-			unsigned int periods = time_elapsed / sampling_rate;
+		if (unlikely((int)idle_time > 2 * sampling_rate)) {
+			unsigned int periods = idle_time / sampling_rate;
 
 			if (periods < idle_periods)
 				idle_periods = periods;