diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c
index 16dfcf7ade74..9ea14ec52449 100644
--- a/mm/page_alloc.c
+++ b/mm/page_alloc.c
@@ -1986,13 +1986,12 @@ static inline bool boost_watermark(struct zone *zone)
  * can claim the whole pageblock for the requested migratetype. If not, we check
  * the pageblock for constituent pages; if at least half of the pages are free
  * or compatible, we can still claim the whole block, so pages freed in the
- * future will be put on the correct free list. Otherwise, we isolate exactly
- * the order we need from the fallback block and leave its migratetype alone.
+ * future will be put on the correct free list.
  */
 static struct page *
-steal_suitable_fallback(struct zone *zone, struct page *page,
-			int current_order, int order, int start_type,
-			unsigned int alloc_flags, bool whole_block)
+try_to_steal_block(struct zone *zone, struct page *page,
+		   int current_order, int order, int start_type,
+		   unsigned int alloc_flags)
 {
 	int free_pages, movable_pages, alike_pages;
 	unsigned long start_pfn;
@@ -2005,7 +2004,7 @@ steal_suitable_fallback(struct zone *zone, struct page *page,
 	 * highatomic accounting.
 	 */
 	if (is_migrate_highatomic(block_type))
-		goto single_page;
+		return NULL;
 
 	/* Take ownership for orders >= pageblock_order */
 	if (current_order >= pageblock_order) {
@@ -2026,14 +2025,10 @@ steal_suitable_fallback(struct zone *zone, struct page *page,
 	if (boost_watermark(zone) && (alloc_flags & ALLOC_KSWAPD))
 		set_bit(ZONE_BOOSTED_WATERMARK, &zone->flags);
 
-	/* We are not allowed to try stealing from the whole block */
-	if (!whole_block)
-		goto single_page;
-
 	/* moving whole block can fail due to zone boundary conditions */
 	if (!prep_move_freepages_block(zone, page, &start_pfn, &free_pages,
 				       &movable_pages))
-		goto single_page;
+		return NULL;
 
 	/*
 	 * Determine how many pages are compatible with our allocation.
@@ -2066,9 +2061,7 @@ steal_suitable_fallback(struct zone *zone, struct page *page,
 		return __rmqueue_smallest(zone, order, start_type);
 	}
 
-single_page:
-	page_del_and_expand(zone, page, order, current_order, block_type);
-	return page;
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -2250,14 +2243,19 @@ static bool unreserve_highatomic_pageblock(const struct alloc_context *ac,
 }
 
 /*
- * Try finding a free buddy page on the fallback list and put it on the free
- * list of requested migratetype, possibly along with other pages from the same
- * block, depending on fragmentation avoidance heuristics. Returns true if
- * fallback was found so that __rmqueue_smallest() can grab it.
+ * Try finding a free buddy page on the fallback list.
+ *
+ * This will attempt to steal a whole pageblock for the requested type
+ * to ensure grouping of such requests in the future.
+ *
+ * If a whole block cannot be stolen, regress to __rmqueue_smallest()
+ * logic to at least break up as little contiguity as possible.
  *
  * The use of signed ints for order and current_order is a deliberate
  * deviation from the rest of this file, to make the for loop
  * condition simpler.
+ *
+ * Return the stolen page, or NULL if none can be found.
  */
 static __always_inline struct page *
 __rmqueue_fallback(struct zone *zone, int order, int start_migratetype,
@@ -2291,45 +2289,35 @@ __rmqueue_fallback(struct zone *zone, int order, int start_migratetype,
 		if (fallback_mt == -1)
 			continue;
 
-		/*
-		 * We cannot steal all free pages from the pageblock and the
-		 * requested migratetype is movable. In that case it's better to
-		 * steal and split the smallest available page instead of the
-		 * largest available page, because even if the next movable
-		 * allocation falls back into a different pageblock than this
-		 * one, it won't cause permanent fragmentation.
-		 */
-		if (!can_steal && start_migratetype == MIGRATE_MOVABLE
-					&& current_order > order)
-			goto find_smallest;
+		if (!can_steal)
+			break;
 
-		goto do_steal;
+		page = get_page_from_free_area(area, fallback_mt);
+		page = try_to_steal_block(zone, page, current_order, order,
+					  start_migratetype, alloc_flags);
+		if (page)
+			goto got_one;
 	}
 
-	return NULL;
+	if (alloc_flags & ALLOC_NOFRAGMENT)
+		return NULL;
 
-find_smallest:
+	/* No luck stealing blocks. Find the smallest fallback page */
 	for (current_order = order; current_order < NR_PAGE_ORDERS; current_order++) {
 		area = &(zone->free_area[current_order]);
 		fallback_mt = find_suitable_fallback(area, current_order,
 				start_migratetype, false, &can_steal);
-		if (fallback_mt != -1)
-			break;
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * This should not happen - we already found a suitable fallback
-	 * when looking for the largest page.
-	 */
-	VM_BUG_ON(current_order > MAX_PAGE_ORDER);
+		if (fallback_mt == -1)
+			continue;
 
-do_steal:
-	page = get_page_from_free_area(area, fallback_mt);
+		page = get_page_from_free_area(area, fallback_mt);
+		page_del_and_expand(zone, page, order, current_order, fallback_mt);
+		goto got_one;
+	}
 
-	/* take off list, maybe claim block, expand remainder */
-	page = steal_suitable_fallback(zone, page, current_order, order,
-				       start_migratetype, alloc_flags, can_steal);
+	return NULL;
 
+got_one:
 	trace_mm_page_alloc_extfrag(page, order, current_order,
 		start_migratetype, fallback_mt);
 
