diff --git a/include/linux/page_ref.h b/include/linux/page_ref.h
index 1acf5bac7f50..add92e8f31b2 100644
--- a/include/linux/page_ref.h
+++ b/include/linux/page_ref.h
@@ -230,7 +230,13 @@ static inline int folio_ref_dec_return(struct folio *folio)
 
 static inline bool page_ref_add_unless(struct page *page, int nr, int u)
 {
-	bool ret = atomic_add_unless(&page->_refcount, nr, u);
+	bool ret = false;
+
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	/* avoid writing to the vmemmap area being remapped */
+	if (!page_is_fake_head(page) && page_ref_count(page) != u)
+		ret = atomic_add_unless(&page->_refcount, nr, u);
+	rcu_read_unlock();
 
 	if (page_ref_tracepoint_active(page_ref_mod_unless))
 		__page_ref_mod_unless(page, nr, ret);
diff --git a/mm/hugetlb.c b/mm/hugetlb.c
index f35abff8be60..271d83a7cde0 100644
--- a/mm/hugetlb.c
+++ b/mm/hugetlb.c
@@ -1629,9 +1629,8 @@ static inline void destroy_compound_gigantic_folio(struct folio *folio,
  *
  * Must be called with hugetlb lock held.
  */
-static void __remove_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio,
-							bool adjust_surplus,
-							bool demote)
+static void remove_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio,
+							bool adjust_surplus)
 {
 	int nid = folio_nid(folio);
 
@@ -1661,33 +1660,13 @@ static void __remove_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio,
 	if (!folio_test_hugetlb_vmemmap_optimized(folio))
 		__folio_clear_hugetlb(folio);
 
-	 /*
-	  * In the case of demote we do not ref count the page as it will soon
-	  * be turned into a page of smaller size.
-	 */
-	if (!demote)
-		folio_ref_unfreeze(folio, 1);
-
 	h->nr_huge_pages--;
 	h->nr_huge_pages_node[nid]--;
 }
 
-static void remove_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio,
-							bool adjust_surplus)
-{
-	__remove_hugetlb_folio(h, folio, adjust_surplus, false);
-}
-
-static void remove_hugetlb_folio_for_demote(struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio,
-							bool adjust_surplus)
-{
-	__remove_hugetlb_folio(h, folio, adjust_surplus, true);
-}
-
 static void add_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio,
 			     bool adjust_surplus)
 {
-	int zeroed;
 	int nid = folio_nid(folio);
 
 	VM_BUG_ON_FOLIO(!folio_test_hugetlb_vmemmap_optimized(folio), folio);
@@ -1711,21 +1690,6 @@ static void add_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio,
 	 */
 	folio_set_hugetlb_vmemmap_optimized(folio);
 
-	/*
-	 * This folio is about to be managed by the hugetlb allocator and
-	 * should have no users.  Drop our reference, and check for others
-	 * just in case.
-	 */
-	zeroed = folio_put_testzero(folio);
-	if (unlikely(!zeroed))
-		/*
-		 * It is VERY unlikely soneone else has taken a ref
-		 * on the folio.  In this case, we simply return as
-		 * free_huge_folio() will be called when this other ref
-		 * is dropped.
-		 */
-		return;
-
 	arch_clear_hugetlb_flags(folio);
 	enqueue_hugetlb_folio(h, folio);
 }
@@ -1779,6 +1743,8 @@ static void __update_and_free_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h,
 		spin_unlock_irq(&hugetlb_lock);
 	}
 
+	folio_ref_unfreeze(folio, 1);
+
 	/*
 	 * Non-gigantic pages demoted from CMA allocated gigantic pages
 	 * need to be given back to CMA in free_gigantic_folio.
@@ -3079,11 +3045,8 @@ static int alloc_and_dissolve_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h,
 
 free_new:
 	spin_unlock_irq(&hugetlb_lock);
-	if (new_folio) {
-		/* Folio has a zero ref count, but needs a ref to be freed */
-		folio_ref_unfreeze(new_folio, 1);
+	if (new_folio)
 		update_and_free_hugetlb_folio(h, new_folio, false);
-	}
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -3938,7 +3901,7 @@ static int demote_free_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio)
 
 	target_hstate = size_to_hstate(PAGE_SIZE << h->demote_order);
 
-	remove_hugetlb_folio_for_demote(h, folio, false);
+	remove_hugetlb_folio(h, folio, false);
 	spin_unlock_irq(&hugetlb_lock);
 
 	/*
@@ -3952,7 +3915,6 @@ static int demote_free_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio)
 		if (rc) {
 			/* Allocation of vmemmmap failed, we can not demote folio */
 			spin_lock_irq(&hugetlb_lock);
-			folio_ref_unfreeze(folio, 1);
 			add_hugetlb_folio(h, folio, false);
 			return rc;
 		}
diff --git a/mm/hugetlb_vmemmap.c b/mm/hugetlb_vmemmap.c
index b9a55322e52c..8193906515c6 100644
--- a/mm/hugetlb_vmemmap.c
+++ b/mm/hugetlb_vmemmap.c
@@ -446,6 +446,8 @@ static int __hugetlb_vmemmap_restore_folio(const struct hstate *h,
 	unsigned long vmemmap_reuse;
 
 	VM_WARN_ON_ONCE_FOLIO(!folio_test_hugetlb(folio), folio);
+	VM_WARN_ON_ONCE_FOLIO(folio_ref_count(folio), folio);
+
 	if (!folio_test_hugetlb_vmemmap_optimized(folio))
 		return 0;
 
@@ -481,6 +483,9 @@ static int __hugetlb_vmemmap_restore_folio(const struct hstate *h,
  */
 int hugetlb_vmemmap_restore_folio(const struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio)
 {
+	/* avoid writes from page_ref_add_unless() while unfolding vmemmap */
+	synchronize_rcu();
+
 	return __hugetlb_vmemmap_restore_folio(h, folio, 0);
 }
 
@@ -505,6 +510,9 @@ long hugetlb_vmemmap_restore_folios(const struct hstate *h,
 	long restored = 0;
 	long ret = 0;
 
+	/* avoid writes from page_ref_add_unless() while unfolding vmemmap */
+	synchronize_rcu();
+
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(folio, t_folio, folio_list, lru) {
 		if (folio_test_hugetlb_vmemmap_optimized(folio)) {
 			ret = __hugetlb_vmemmap_restore_folio(h, folio,
@@ -550,6 +558,8 @@ static int __hugetlb_vmemmap_optimize_folio(const struct hstate *h,
 	unsigned long vmemmap_reuse;
 
 	VM_WARN_ON_ONCE_FOLIO(!folio_test_hugetlb(folio), folio);
+	VM_WARN_ON_ONCE_FOLIO(folio_ref_count(folio), folio);
+
 	if (!vmemmap_should_optimize_folio(h, folio))
 		return ret;
 
@@ -601,6 +611,9 @@ void hugetlb_vmemmap_optimize_folio(const struct hstate *h, struct folio *folio)
 {
 	LIST_HEAD(vmemmap_pages);
 
+	/* avoid writes from page_ref_add_unless() while folding vmemmap */
+	synchronize_rcu();
+
 	__hugetlb_vmemmap_optimize_folio(h, folio, &vmemmap_pages, 0);
 	free_vmemmap_page_list(&vmemmap_pages);
 }
@@ -644,6 +657,9 @@ void hugetlb_vmemmap_optimize_folios(struct hstate *h, struct list_head *folio_l
 
 	flush_tlb_all();
 
+	/* avoid writes from page_ref_add_unless() while folding vmemmap */
+	synchronize_rcu();
+
 	list_for_each_entry(folio, folio_list, lru) {
 		int ret;
 
