diff --git a/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c b/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
index edd5687599ed3..c831f93539731 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
@@ -666,6 +666,14 @@ struct css_set init_css_set = {
 	.cgrp_links		= LIST_HEAD_INIT(init_css_set.cgrp_links),
 	.mg_preload_node	= LIST_HEAD_INIT(init_css_set.mg_preload_node),
 	.mg_node		= LIST_HEAD_INIT(init_css_set.mg_node),
+
+	/*
+	 * The following field is re-initialized when this cset gets linked
+	 * in cgroup_init().  However, let's initialize the field
+	 * statically too so that the default cgroup can be accessed safely
+	 * early during boot.
+	 */
+	.dfl_cgrp		= &cgrp_dfl_root.cgrp,
 };
 
 static int css_set_count	= 1;	/* 1 for init_css_set */