diff --git a/mm/huge_memory.c b/mm/huge_memory.c
index 1cc4a5f4791e..03fc7e5edf07 100644
--- a/mm/huge_memory.c
+++ b/mm/huge_memory.c
@@ -2455,7 +2455,16 @@ static void __split_huge_page_tail(struct page *head, int tail,
 			page_tail);
 	page_tail->mapping = head->mapping;
 	page_tail->index = head->index + tail;
-	page_tail->private = 0;
+
+	/*
+	 * page->private should not be set in tail pages with the exception
+	 * of swap cache pages that store the swp_entry_t in tail pages.
+	 * Fix up and warn once if private is unexpectedly set.
+	 */
+	if (!folio_test_swapcache(page_folio(head))) {
+		VM_WARN_ON_ONCE_PAGE(page_tail->private != 0, head);
+		page_tail->private = 0;
+	}
 
 	/* Page flags must be visible before we make the page non-compound. */
 	smp_wmb();