diff --git a/kernel/rcutree.c b/kernel/rcutree.c
index 05e254e930e..77a7671dd14 100644
--- a/kernel/rcutree.c
+++ b/kernel/rcutree.c
@@ -1648,6 +1648,7 @@ static int __cpuinit rcu_spawn_one_cpu_kthread(int cpu)
 	if (IS_ERR(t))
 		return PTR_ERR(t);
 	kthread_bind(t, cpu);
+	set_task_state(t, TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 	per_cpu(rcu_cpu_kthread_cpu, cpu) = cpu;
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(per_cpu(rcu_cpu_kthread_task, cpu) != NULL);
 	per_cpu(rcu_cpu_kthread_task, cpu) = t;
@@ -1755,6 +1756,7 @@ static int __cpuinit rcu_spawn_one_node_kthread(struct rcu_state *rsp,
 		if (IS_ERR(t))
 			return PTR_ERR(t);
 		raw_spin_lock_irqsave(&rnp->lock, flags);
+		set_task_state(t, TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 		rnp->node_kthread_task = t;
 		raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rnp->lock, flags);
 		sp.sched_priority = 99;
diff --git a/kernel/rcutree_plugin.h b/kernel/rcutree_plugin.h
index 049f2787a98..a767b7dac36 100644
--- a/kernel/rcutree_plugin.h
+++ b/kernel/rcutree_plugin.h
@@ -1295,6 +1295,7 @@ static int __cpuinit rcu_spawn_one_boost_kthread(struct rcu_state *rsp,
 	if (IS_ERR(t))
 		return PTR_ERR(t);
 	raw_spin_lock_irqsave(&rnp->lock, flags);
+	set_task_state(t, TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 	rnp->boost_kthread_task = t;
 	raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rnp->lock, flags);
 	sp.sched_priority = RCU_KTHREAD_PRIO;