diff --git a/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c b/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
index 416dd7db3fb2c..baebd1c7667b7 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
@@ -2949,12 +2949,11 @@ static int cgroup_update_dfl_csses(struct cgroup *cgrp)
 	struct cgroup_subsys_state *d_css;
 	struct cgroup *dsct;
 	struct css_set *src_cset;
+	bool has_tasks;
 	int ret;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&cgroup_mutex);
 
-	percpu_down_write(&cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem);
-
 	/* look up all csses currently attached to @cgrp's subtree */
 	spin_lock_irq(&css_set_lock);
 	cgroup_for_each_live_descendant_pre(dsct, d_css, cgrp) {
@@ -2965,6 +2964,16 @@ static int cgroup_update_dfl_csses(struct cgroup *cgrp)
 	}
 	spin_unlock_irq(&css_set_lock);
 
+	/*
+	 * We need to write-lock threadgroup_rwsem while migrating tasks.
+	 * However, if there are no source csets for @cgrp, changing its
+	 * controllers isn't gonna produce any task migrations and the
+	 * write-locking can be skipped safely.
+	 */
+	has_tasks = !list_empty(&mgctx.preloaded_src_csets);
+	if (has_tasks)
+		percpu_down_write(&cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem);
+
 	/* NULL dst indicates self on default hierarchy */
 	ret = cgroup_migrate_prepare_dst(&mgctx);
 	if (ret)
@@ -2984,7 +2993,8 @@ static int cgroup_update_dfl_csses(struct cgroup *cgrp)
 	ret = cgroup_migrate_execute(&mgctx);
 out_finish:
 	cgroup_migrate_finish(&mgctx);
-	percpu_up_write(&cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem);
+	if (has_tasks)
+		percpu_up_write(&cgroup_threadgroup_rwsem);
 	return ret;
 }