diff --git a/include/linux/sched/signal.h b/include/linux/sched/signal.h
index 37eeb1a28eba..ae5655197698 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched/signal.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched/signal.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ struct multiprocess_signals {
  * the locking of signal_struct.
  */
 struct signal_struct {
-	atomic_t		sigcnt;
+	refcount_t		sigcnt;
 	atomic_t		live;
 	int			nr_threads;
 	struct list_head	thread_head;
diff --git a/init/init_task.c b/init/init_task.c
index 5aebe3be4d7c..9aa3ebc74970 100644
--- a/init/init_task.c
+++ b/init/init_task.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static struct signal_struct init_signals = {
 };
 
 static struct sighand_struct init_sighand = {
-	.count		= ATOMIC_INIT(1),
+	.count		= REFCOUNT_INIT(1),
 	.action		= { { { .sa_handler = SIG_DFL, } }, },
 	.siglock	= __SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED(init_sighand.siglock),
 	.signalfd_wqh	= __WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD_INITIALIZER(init_sighand.signalfd_wqh),
diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
index 370856d4c0b3..935a42d5f8ff 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ static inline void free_signal_struct(struct signal_struct *sig)
 
 static inline void put_signal_struct(struct signal_struct *sig)
 {
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&sig->sigcnt))
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&sig->sigcnt))
 		free_signal_struct(sig);
 }
 
@@ -1527,7 +1527,7 @@ static int copy_signal(unsigned long clone_flags, struct task_struct *tsk)
 
 	sig->nr_threads = 1;
 	atomic_set(&sig->live, 1);
-	atomic_set(&sig->sigcnt, 1);
+	refcount_set(&sig->sigcnt, 1);
 
 	/* list_add(thread_node, thread_head) without INIT_LIST_HEAD() */
 	sig->thread_head = (struct list_head)LIST_HEAD_INIT(tsk->thread_node);
@@ -2082,7 +2082,7 @@ static __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
 		} else {
 			current->signal->nr_threads++;
 			atomic_inc(&current->signal->live);
-			atomic_inc(&current->signal->sigcnt);
+			refcount_inc(&current->signal->sigcnt);
 			task_join_group_stop(p);
 			list_add_tail_rcu(&p->thread_group,
 					  &p->group_leader->thread_group);