diff --git a/mm/huge_memory.c b/mm/huge_memory.c
index 25191ab70631..4cc7133aaa4b 100644
--- a/mm/huge_memory.c
+++ b/mm/huge_memory.c
@@ -793,8 +793,6 @@ void folio_prep_large_rmappable(struct folio *folio)
 {
 	if (!folio || !folio_test_large(folio))
 		return;
-	if (folio_order(folio) > 1)
-		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&folio->_deferred_list);
 	folio_set_large_rmappable(folio);
 }
 
diff --git a/mm/hugetlb.c b/mm/hugetlb.c
index ce7be5c24442..378181547b7b 100644
--- a/mm/hugetlb.c
+++ b/mm/hugetlb.c
@@ -1796,7 +1796,8 @@ static void __update_and_free_hugetlb_folio(struct hstate *h,
 		destroy_compound_gigantic_folio(folio, huge_page_order(h));
 		free_gigantic_folio(folio, huge_page_order(h));
 	} else {
-		__free_pages(&folio->page, huge_page_order(h));
+		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&folio->_deferred_list);
+		folio_put(folio);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/mm/internal.h b/mm/internal.h
index 85c3db43454d..5c0c57c9cd19 100644
--- a/mm/internal.h
+++ b/mm/internal.h
@@ -525,6 +525,8 @@ static inline void prep_compound_head(struct page *page, unsigned int order)
 	atomic_set(&folio->_entire_mapcount, -1);
 	atomic_set(&folio->_nr_pages_mapped, 0);
 	atomic_set(&folio->_pincount, 0);
+	if (order > 1)
+		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&folio->_deferred_list);
 }
 
 static inline void prep_compound_tail(struct page *head, int tail_idx)
diff --git a/mm/memcontrol.c b/mm/memcontrol.c
index 896b4bf05b9c..45dd20901282 100644
--- a/mm/memcontrol.c
+++ b/mm/memcontrol.c
@@ -7400,6 +7400,9 @@ static void uncharge_folio(struct folio *folio, struct uncharge_gather *ug)
 	struct obj_cgroup *objcg;
 
 	VM_BUG_ON_FOLIO(folio_test_lru(folio), folio);
+	VM_BUG_ON_FOLIO(folio_order(folio) > 1 &&
+			!folio_test_hugetlb(folio) &&
+			!list_empty(&folio->_deferred_list), folio);
 
 	/*
 	 * Nobody should be changing or seriously looking at
diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c
index e1241ecef271..7e8f4b751801 100644
--- a/mm/page_alloc.c
+++ b/mm/page_alloc.c
@@ -1007,10 +1007,11 @@ static int free_tail_page_prepare(struct page *head_page, struct page *page)
 		}
 		break;
 	case 2:
-		/*
-		 * the second tail page: ->mapping is
-		 * deferred_list.next -- ignore value.
-		 */
+		/* the second tail page: deferred_list overlaps ->mapping */
+		if (unlikely(!list_empty(&folio->_deferred_list))) {
+			bad_page(page, "on deferred list");
+			goto out;
+		}
 		break;
 	default:
 		if (page->mapping != TAIL_MAPPING) {