diff --git a/kernel/bpf/bpf_lru_list.c b/kernel/bpf/bpf_lru_list.c
index d99e89f113c4..3dabdd137d10 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/bpf_lru_list.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/bpf_lru_list.c
@@ -41,7 +41,12 @@ static struct list_head *local_pending_list(struct bpf_lru_locallist *loc_l)
 /* bpf_lru_node helpers */
 static bool bpf_lru_node_is_ref(const struct bpf_lru_node *node)
 {
-	return node->ref;
+	return READ_ONCE(node->ref);
+}
+
+static void bpf_lru_node_clear_ref(struct bpf_lru_node *node)
+{
+	WRITE_ONCE(node->ref, 0);
 }
 
 static void bpf_lru_list_count_inc(struct bpf_lru_list *l,
@@ -89,7 +94,7 @@ static void __bpf_lru_node_move_in(struct bpf_lru_list *l,
 
 	bpf_lru_list_count_inc(l, tgt_type);
 	node->type = tgt_type;
-	node->ref = 0;
+	bpf_lru_node_clear_ref(node);
 	list_move(&node->list, &l->lists[tgt_type]);
 }
 
@@ -110,7 +115,7 @@ static void __bpf_lru_node_move(struct bpf_lru_list *l,
 		bpf_lru_list_count_inc(l, tgt_type);
 		node->type = tgt_type;
 	}
-	node->ref = 0;
+	bpf_lru_node_clear_ref(node);
 
 	/* If the moving node is the next_inactive_rotation candidate,
 	 * move the next_inactive_rotation pointer also.
@@ -353,7 +358,7 @@ static void __local_list_add_pending(struct bpf_lru *lru,
 	*(u32 *)((void *)node + lru->hash_offset) = hash;
 	node->cpu = cpu;
 	node->type = BPF_LRU_LOCAL_LIST_T_PENDING;
-	node->ref = 0;
+	bpf_lru_node_clear_ref(node);
 	list_add(&node->list, local_pending_list(loc_l));
 }
 
@@ -419,7 +424,7 @@ static struct bpf_lru_node *bpf_percpu_lru_pop_free(struct bpf_lru *lru,
 	if (!list_empty(free_list)) {
 		node = list_first_entry(free_list, struct bpf_lru_node, list);
 		*(u32 *)((void *)node + lru->hash_offset) = hash;
-		node->ref = 0;
+		bpf_lru_node_clear_ref(node);
 		__bpf_lru_node_move(l, node, BPF_LRU_LIST_T_INACTIVE);
 	}
 
@@ -522,7 +527,7 @@ static void bpf_common_lru_push_free(struct bpf_lru *lru,
 		}
 
 		node->type = BPF_LRU_LOCAL_LIST_T_FREE;
-		node->ref = 0;
+		bpf_lru_node_clear_ref(node);
 		list_move(&node->list, local_free_list(loc_l));
 
 		raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&loc_l->lock, flags);
@@ -568,7 +573,7 @@ static void bpf_common_lru_populate(struct bpf_lru *lru, void *buf,
 
 		node = (struct bpf_lru_node *)(buf + node_offset);
 		node->type = BPF_LRU_LIST_T_FREE;
-		node->ref = 0;
+		bpf_lru_node_clear_ref(node);
 		list_add(&node->list, &l->lists[BPF_LRU_LIST_T_FREE]);
 		buf += elem_size;
 	}
@@ -594,7 +599,7 @@ static void bpf_percpu_lru_populate(struct bpf_lru *lru, void *buf,
 		node = (struct bpf_lru_node *)(buf + node_offset);
 		node->cpu = cpu;
 		node->type = BPF_LRU_LIST_T_FREE;
-		node->ref = 0;
+		bpf_lru_node_clear_ref(node);
 		list_add(&node->list, &l->lists[BPF_LRU_LIST_T_FREE]);
 		i++;
 		buf += elem_size;
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/bpf_lru_list.h b/kernel/bpf/bpf_lru_list.h
index 4ea227c9c1ad..8f3c8b2b4490 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/bpf_lru_list.h
+++ b/kernel/bpf/bpf_lru_list.h
@@ -64,11 +64,8 @@ struct bpf_lru {
 
 static inline void bpf_lru_node_set_ref(struct bpf_lru_node *node)
 {
-	/* ref is an approximation on access frequency.  It does not
-	 * have to be very accurate.  Hence, no protection is used.
-	 */
-	if (!node->ref)
-		node->ref = 1;
+	if (!READ_ONCE(node->ref))
+		WRITE_ONCE(node->ref, 1);
 }
 
 int bpf_lru_init(struct bpf_lru *lru, bool percpu, u32 hash_offset,