diff --git a/include/linux/init_task.h b/include/linux/init_task.h
index a7083a45a26c..6049baa5b8bc 100644
--- a/include/linux/init_task.h
+++ b/include/linux/init_task.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <linux/securebits.h>
 #include <linux/seqlock.h>
 #include <linux/rbtree.h>
+#include <linux/refcount.h>
 #include <linux/sched/autogroup.h>
 #include <net/net_namespace.h>
 #include <linux/sched/rt.h>
diff --git a/include/linux/sched.h b/include/linux/sched.h
index 9d14d6864ca6..628bf13cb5a5 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched.h
@@ -1194,7 +1194,7 @@ struct task_struct {
 #endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_THREAD_INFO_IN_TASK
 	/* A live task holds one reference: */
-	atomic_t			stack_refcount;
+	refcount_t			stack_refcount;
 #endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_LIVEPATCH
 	int patch_state;
diff --git a/include/linux/sched/task_stack.h b/include/linux/sched/task_stack.h
index 6a841929073f..2413427e439c 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched/task_stack.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched/task_stack.h
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ static inline unsigned long *end_of_stack(struct task_struct *p)
 #ifdef CONFIG_THREAD_INFO_IN_TASK
 static inline void *try_get_task_stack(struct task_struct *tsk)
 {
-	return atomic_inc_not_zero(&tsk->stack_refcount) ?
+	return refcount_inc_not_zero(&tsk->stack_refcount) ?
 		task_stack_page(tsk) : NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/init/init_task.c b/init/init_task.c
index aca34c89529f..46dbf546264d 100644
--- a/init/init_task.c
+++ b/init/init_task.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ struct task_struct init_task
 = {
 #ifdef CONFIG_THREAD_INFO_IN_TASK
 	.thread_info	= INIT_THREAD_INFO(init_task),
-	.stack_refcount	= ATOMIC_INIT(1),
+	.stack_refcount	= REFCOUNT_INIT(1),
 #endif
 	.state		= 0,
 	.stack		= init_stack,
diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
index 3f7e192e29f2..77059b211608 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ static void release_task_stack(struct task_struct *tsk)
 #ifdef CONFIG_THREAD_INFO_IN_TASK
 void put_task_stack(struct task_struct *tsk)
 {
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&tsk->stack_refcount))
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&tsk->stack_refcount))
 		release_task_stack(tsk);
 }
 #endif
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ void free_task(struct task_struct *tsk)
 	 * If the task had a separate stack allocation, it should be gone
 	 * by now.
 	 */
-	WARN_ON_ONCE(atomic_read(&tsk->stack_refcount) != 0);
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(refcount_read(&tsk->stack_refcount) != 0);
 #endif
 	rt_mutex_debug_task_free(tsk);
 	ftrace_graph_exit_task(tsk);
@@ -867,7 +867,7 @@ static struct task_struct *dup_task_struct(struct task_struct *orig, int node)
 	tsk->stack_vm_area = stack_vm_area;
 #endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_THREAD_INFO_IN_TASK
-	atomic_set(&tsk->stack_refcount, 1);
+	refcount_set(&tsk->stack_refcount, 1);
 #endif
 
 	if (err)