diff --git a/kernel/rcu/tasks.h b/kernel/rcu/tasks.h
index c9d8583ffe59..8387e70e6b00 100644
--- a/kernel/rcu/tasks.h
+++ b/kernel/rcu/tasks.h
@@ -923,7 +923,7 @@ reset_ipi:
 static bool trc_inspect_reader(struct task_struct *t, void *arg)
 {
 	int cpu = task_cpu(t);
-	bool in_qs = false;
+	int nesting;
 	bool ofl = cpu_is_offline(cpu);
 
 	if (task_curr(t)) {
@@ -943,18 +943,18 @@ static bool trc_inspect_reader(struct task_struct *t, void *arg)
 		n_heavy_reader_updates++;
 		if (ofl)
 			n_heavy_reader_ofl_updates++;
-		in_qs = true;
+		nesting = 0;
 	} else {
 		// The task is not running, so C-language access is safe.
-		in_qs = likely(!t->trc_reader_nesting);
+		nesting = t->trc_reader_nesting;
 	}
 
-	// Mark as checked so that the grace-period kthread will
-	// remove it from the holdout list.
-	t->trc_reader_checked = true;
-
-	if (in_qs)
-		return true;  // Already in quiescent state, done!!!
+	// If not exiting a read-side critical section, mark as checked
+	// so that the grace-period kthread will remove it from the
+	// holdout list.
+	t->trc_reader_checked = nesting >= 0;
+	if (nesting <= 0)
+		return !nesting;  // If in QS, done, otherwise try again later.
 
 	// The task is in a read-side critical section, so set up its
 	// state so that it will awaken the grace-period kthread upon exit