diff --git a/arch/s390/include/asm/pgalloc.h b/arch/s390/include/asm/pgalloc.h
index 17eb618f1348..89a9d5ef94f8 100644
--- a/arch/s390/include/asm/pgalloc.h
+++ b/arch/s390/include/asm/pgalloc.h
@@ -143,6 +143,10 @@ static inline void pmd_populate(struct mm_struct *mm,
 #define pte_free_kernel(mm, pte) page_table_free(mm, (unsigned long *) pte)
 #define pte_free(mm, pte) page_table_free(mm, (unsigned long *) pte)
 
+/* arch use pte_free_defer() implementation in arch/s390/mm/pgalloc.c */
+#define pte_free_defer pte_free_defer
+void pte_free_defer(struct mm_struct *mm, pgtable_t pgtable);
+
 void vmem_map_init(void);
 void *vmem_crst_alloc(unsigned long val);
 pte_t *vmem_pte_alloc(void);
diff --git a/arch/s390/mm/pgalloc.c b/arch/s390/mm/pgalloc.c
index 66ab68db9842..760b4ace475e 100644
--- a/arch/s390/mm/pgalloc.c
+++ b/arch/s390/mm/pgalloc.c
@@ -229,6 +229,15 @@ void page_table_free_pgste(struct page *page)
  * logic described above. Both AA bits are set to 1 to denote a 4KB-pgtable
  * while the PP bits are never used, nor such a page is added to or removed
  * from mm_context_t::pgtable_list.
+ *
+ * pte_free_defer() overrides those rules: it takes the page off pgtable_list,
+ * and prevents both 2K fragments from being reused. pte_free_defer() has to
+ * guarantee that its pgtable cannot be reused before the RCU grace period
+ * has elapsed (which page_table_free_rcu() does not actually guarantee).
+ * But for simplicity, because page->rcu_head overlays page->lru, and because
+ * the RCU callback might not be called before the mm_context_t has been freed,
+ * pte_free_defer() in this implementation prevents both fragments from being
+ * reused, and delays making the call to RCU until both fragments are freed.
  */
 unsigned long *page_table_alloc(struct mm_struct *mm)
 {
@@ -261,7 +270,7 @@ unsigned long *page_table_alloc(struct mm_struct *mm)
 					table += PTRS_PER_PTE;
 				atomic_xor_bits(&page->_refcount,
 							0x01U << (bit + 24));
-				list_del(&page->lru);
+				list_del_init(&page->lru);
 			}
 		}
 		spin_unlock_bh(&mm->context.lock);
@@ -281,6 +290,7 @@ unsigned long *page_table_alloc(struct mm_struct *mm)
 	table = (unsigned long *) page_to_virt(page);
 	if (mm_alloc_pgste(mm)) {
 		/* Return 4K page table with PGSTEs */
+		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&page->lru);
 		atomic_xor_bits(&page->_refcount, 0x03U << 24);
 		memset64((u64 *)table, _PAGE_INVALID, PTRS_PER_PTE);
 		memset64((u64 *)table + PTRS_PER_PTE, 0, PTRS_PER_PTE);
@@ -300,7 +310,9 @@ static void page_table_release_check(struct page *page, void *table,
 {
 	char msg[128];
 
-	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DEBUG_VM) || !mask)
+	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_DEBUG_VM))
+		return;
+	if (!mask && list_empty(&page->lru))
 		return;
 	snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg),
 		 "Invalid pgtable %p release half 0x%02x mask 0x%02x",
@@ -308,6 +320,15 @@ static void page_table_release_check(struct page *page, void *table,
 	dump_page(page, msg);
 }
 
+static void pte_free_now(struct rcu_head *head)
+{
+	struct page *page;
+
+	page = container_of(head, struct page, rcu_head);
+	pgtable_pte_page_dtor(page);
+	__free_page(page);
+}
+
 void page_table_free(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long *table)
 {
 	unsigned int mask, bit, half;
@@ -325,10 +346,17 @@ void page_table_free(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long *table)
 		 */
 		mask = atomic_xor_bits(&page->_refcount, 0x11U << (bit + 24));
 		mask >>= 24;
-		if (mask & 0x03U)
+		if ((mask & 0x03U) && !PageActive(page)) {
+			/*
+			 * Other half is allocated, and neither half has had
+			 * its free deferred: add page to head of list, to make
+			 * this freed half available for immediate reuse.
+			 */
 			list_add(&page->lru, &mm->context.pgtable_list);
-		else
-			list_del(&page->lru);
+		} else {
+			/* If page is on list, now remove it. */
+			list_del_init(&page->lru);
+		}
 		spin_unlock_bh(&mm->context.lock);
 		mask = atomic_xor_bits(&page->_refcount, 0x10U << (bit + 24));
 		mask >>= 24;
@@ -342,8 +370,10 @@ void page_table_free(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long *table)
 	}
 
 	page_table_release_check(page, table, half, mask);
-	pgtable_pte_page_dtor(page);
-	__free_page(page);
+	if (TestClearPageActive(page))
+		call_rcu(&page->rcu_head, pte_free_now);
+	else
+		pte_free_now(&page->rcu_head);
 }
 
 void page_table_free_rcu(struct mmu_gather *tlb, unsigned long *table,
@@ -370,10 +400,18 @@ void page_table_free_rcu(struct mmu_gather *tlb, unsigned long *table,
 	 */
 	mask = atomic_xor_bits(&page->_refcount, 0x11U << (bit + 24));
 	mask >>= 24;
-	if (mask & 0x03U)
+	if ((mask & 0x03U) && !PageActive(page)) {
+		/*
+		 * Other half is allocated, and neither half has had
+		 * its free deferred: add page to end of list, to make
+		 * this freed half available for reuse once its pending
+		 * bit has been cleared by __tlb_remove_table().
+		 */
 		list_add_tail(&page->lru, &mm->context.pgtable_list);
-	else
-		list_del(&page->lru);
+	} else {
+		/* If page is on list, now remove it. */
+		list_del_init(&page->lru);
+	}
 	spin_unlock_bh(&mm->context.lock);
 	table = (unsigned long *) ((unsigned long) table | (0x01U << bit));
 	tlb_remove_table(tlb, table);
@@ -403,10 +441,28 @@ void __tlb_remove_table(void *_table)
 	}
 
 	page_table_release_check(page, table, half, mask);
-	pgtable_pte_page_dtor(page);
-	__free_page(page);
+	if (TestClearPageActive(page))
+		call_rcu(&page->rcu_head, pte_free_now);
+	else
+		pte_free_now(&page->rcu_head);
 }
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_TRANSPARENT_HUGEPAGE
+void pte_free_defer(struct mm_struct *mm, pgtable_t pgtable)
+{
+	struct page *page;
+
+	page = virt_to_page(pgtable);
+	SetPageActive(page);
+	page_table_free(mm, (unsigned long *)pgtable);
+	/*
+	 * page_table_free() does not do the pgste gmap_unlink() which
+	 * page_table_free_rcu() does: warn us if pgste ever reaches here.
+	 */
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(mm_alloc_pgste(mm));
+}
+#endif /* CONFIG_TRANSPARENT_HUGEPAGE */
+
 /*
  * Base infrastructure required to generate basic asces, region, segment,
  * and page tables that do not make use of enhanced features like EDAT1.
