diff --git a/include/linux/kdb.h b/include/linux/kdb.h
index eb706188dc23..68bd88223417 100644
--- a/include/linux/kdb.h
+++ b/include/linux/kdb.h
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ enum kdb_msgsrc {
 };
 
 extern int kdb_trap_printk;
+extern int kdb_printf_cpu;
 extern __printf(2, 0) int vkdb_printf(enum kdb_msgsrc src, const char *fmt,
 				      va_list args);
 extern __printf(1, 2) int kdb_printf(const char *, ...);
diff --git a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_io.c b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_io.c
index daa76154fb1b..e74be38245ad 100644
--- a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_io.c
+++ b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_io.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 char kdb_prompt_str[CMD_BUFLEN];
 
 int kdb_trap_printk;
+int kdb_printf_cpu = -1;
 
 static int kgdb_transition_check(char *buffer)
 {
@@ -554,24 +555,19 @@ int vkdb_printf(enum kdb_msgsrc src, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 	int linecount;
 	int colcount;
 	int logging, saved_loglevel = 0;
-	int saved_trap_printk;
 	int retlen = 0;
 	int fnd, len;
 	int this_cpu, old_cpu;
-	static int kdb_printf_cpu = -1;
 	char *cp, *cp2, *cphold = NULL, replaced_byte = ' ';
 	char *moreprompt = "more> ";
 	struct console *c = console_drivers;
 	unsigned long uninitialized_var(flags);
 
-	local_irq_save(flags);
-	saved_trap_printk = kdb_trap_printk;
-	kdb_trap_printk = 0;
-
 	/* Serialize kdb_printf if multiple cpus try to write at once.
 	 * But if any cpu goes recursive in kdb, just print the output,
 	 * even if it is interleaved with any other text.
 	 */
+	local_irq_save(flags);
 	this_cpu = smp_processor_id();
 	for (;;) {
 		old_cpu = cmpxchg(&kdb_printf_cpu, -1, this_cpu);
@@ -849,7 +845,6 @@ kdb_print_out:
 		console_loglevel = saved_loglevel;
 	/* kdb_printf_cpu locked the code above. */
 	smp_store_release(&kdb_printf_cpu, old_cpu);
-	kdb_trap_printk = saved_trap_printk;
 	local_irq_restore(flags);
 	return retlen;
 }
diff --git a/kernel/printk/printk.c b/kernel/printk/printk.c
index 577f2288d19f..a3ce35e0fa1e 100644
--- a/kernel/printk/printk.c
+++ b/kernel/printk/printk.c
@@ -1926,7 +1926,8 @@ int vprintk_default(const char *fmt, va_list args)
 	int r;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_KGDB_KDB
-	if (unlikely(kdb_trap_printk)) {
+	/* Allow to pass printk() to kdb but avoid a recursion. */
+	if (unlikely(kdb_trap_printk && kdb_printf_cpu < 0)) {
 		r = vkdb_printf(KDB_MSGSRC_PRINTK, fmt, args);
 		return r;
 	}