diff --git a/block/blk-cgroup.h b/block/blk-cgroup.h
index 371fe8e92ab5..d692b29c083a 100644
--- a/block/blk-cgroup.h
+++ b/block/blk-cgroup.h
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ static inline struct blkcg *bio_blkcg(struct bio *bio)
  */
 static inline struct blkcg *blkcg_parent(struct blkcg *blkcg)
 {
-	return css_to_blkcg(css_parent(&blkcg->css));
+	return css_to_blkcg(blkcg->css.parent);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/linux/cgroup.h b/include/linux/cgroup.h
index 1737db0c63fe..2549493d518d 100644
--- a/include/linux/cgroup.h
+++ b/include/linux/cgroup.h
@@ -48,22 +48,28 @@ enum cgroup_subsys_id {
 };
 #undef SUBSYS
 
-/* Per-subsystem/per-cgroup state maintained by the system. */
+/*
+ * Per-subsystem/per-cgroup state maintained by the system.  This is the
+ * fundamental structural building block that controllers deal with.
+ *
+ * Fields marked with "PI:" are public and immutable and may be accessed
+ * directly without synchronization.
+ */
 struct cgroup_subsys_state {
-	/* the cgroup that this css is attached to */
+	/* PI: the cgroup that this css is attached to */
 	struct cgroup *cgroup;
 
-	/* the cgroup subsystem that this css is attached to */
+	/* PI: the cgroup subsystem that this css is attached to */
 	struct cgroup_subsys *ss;
 
 	/* reference count - access via css_[try]get() and css_put() */
 	struct percpu_ref refcnt;
 
-	/* the parent css */
+	/* PI: the parent css */
 	struct cgroup_subsys_state *parent;
 
 	/*
-	 * Subsys-unique ID.  0 is unused and root is always 1.  The
+	 * PI: Subsys-unique ID.  0 is unused and root is always 1.  The
 	 * matching css can be looked up using css_from_id().
 	 */
 	int id;
@@ -669,19 +675,6 @@ struct cgroup_subsys {
 #include <linux/cgroup_subsys.h>
 #undef SUBSYS
 
-/**
- * css_parent - find the parent css
- * @css: the target cgroup_subsys_state
- *
- * Return the parent css of @css.  This function is guaranteed to return
- * non-NULL parent as long as @css isn't the root.
- */
-static inline
-struct cgroup_subsys_state *css_parent(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css)
-{
-	return css->parent;
-}
-
 /**
  * task_css_set_check - obtain a task's css_set with extra access conditions
  * @task: the task to obtain css_set for
diff --git a/kernel/cgroup.c b/kernel/cgroup.c
index 0343d7ee6d62..929bbbc539e9 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup.c
@@ -3176,10 +3176,10 @@ css_next_descendant_pre(struct cgroup_subsys_state *pos,
 
 	/* no child, visit my or the closest ancestor's next sibling */
 	while (pos != root) {
-		next = css_next_child(pos, css_parent(pos));
+		next = css_next_child(pos, pos->parent);
 		if (next)
 			return next;
-		pos = css_parent(pos);
+		pos = pos->parent;
 	}
 
 	return NULL;
@@ -3261,12 +3261,12 @@ css_next_descendant_post(struct cgroup_subsys_state *pos,
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* if there's an unvisited sibling, visit its leftmost descendant */
-	next = css_next_child(pos, css_parent(pos));
+	next = css_next_child(pos, pos->parent);
 	if (next)
 		return css_leftmost_descendant(next);
 
 	/* no sibling left, visit parent */
-	return css_parent(pos);
+	return pos->parent;
 }
 
 static bool cgroup_has_live_children(struct cgroup *cgrp)
diff --git a/kernel/cgroup_freezer.c b/kernel/cgroup_freezer.c
index 6b4e60e33a9a..a79e40f9d700 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup_freezer.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup_freezer.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static inline struct freezer *task_freezer(struct task_struct *task)
 
 static struct freezer *parent_freezer(struct freezer *freezer)
 {
-	return css_freezer(css_parent(&freezer->css));
+	return css_freezer(freezer->css.parent);
 }
 
 bool cgroup_freezing(struct task_struct *task)
diff --git a/kernel/cpuset.c b/kernel/cpuset.c
index 2f4b08b8db24..5b2a31082f4f 100644
--- a/kernel/cpuset.c
+++ b/kernel/cpuset.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ static inline struct cpuset *task_cs(struct task_struct *task)
 
 static inline struct cpuset *parent_cs(struct cpuset *cs)
 {
-	return css_cs(css_parent(&cs->css));
+	return css_cs(cs->css.parent);
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_NUMA
diff --git a/kernel/sched/core.c b/kernel/sched/core.c
index 268a45ea238c..ac61ad1a5f9f 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/core.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/core.c
@@ -7586,7 +7586,7 @@ cpu_cgroup_css_alloc(struct cgroup_subsys_state *parent_css)
 static int cpu_cgroup_css_online(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css)
 {
 	struct task_group *tg = css_tg(css);
-	struct task_group *parent = css_tg(css_parent(css));
+	struct task_group *parent = css_tg(css->parent);
 
 	if (parent)
 		sched_online_group(tg, parent);
diff --git a/kernel/sched/cpuacct.c b/kernel/sched/cpuacct.c
index c143ee380e3a..9cf350c94ec4 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/cpuacct.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/cpuacct.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ static inline struct cpuacct *task_ca(struct task_struct *tsk)
 
 static inline struct cpuacct *parent_ca(struct cpuacct *ca)
 {
-	return css_ca(css_parent(&ca->css));
+	return css_ca(ca->css.parent);
 }
 
 static DEFINE_PER_CPU(u64, root_cpuacct_cpuusage);
diff --git a/mm/hugetlb_cgroup.c b/mm/hugetlb_cgroup.c
index a380681ab3cf..493f758445e7 100644
--- a/mm/hugetlb_cgroup.c
+++ b/mm/hugetlb_cgroup.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ static inline bool hugetlb_cgroup_is_root(struct hugetlb_cgroup *h_cg)
 static inline struct hugetlb_cgroup *
 parent_hugetlb_cgroup(struct hugetlb_cgroup *h_cg)
 {
-	return hugetlb_cgroup_from_css(css_parent(&h_cg->css));
+	return hugetlb_cgroup_from_css(h_cg->css.parent);
 }
 
 static inline bool hugetlb_cgroup_have_usage(struct hugetlb_cgroup *h_cg)
diff --git a/mm/memcontrol.c b/mm/memcontrol.c
index b638a79209ee..a5e0417b4f9a 100644
--- a/mm/memcontrol.c
+++ b/mm/memcontrol.c
@@ -1540,7 +1540,7 @@ static unsigned long mem_cgroup_margin(struct mem_cgroup *memcg)
 int mem_cgroup_swappiness(struct mem_cgroup *memcg)
 {
 	/* root ? */
-	if (!css_parent(&memcg->css))
+	if (!memcg->css.parent)
 		return vm_swappiness;
 
 	return memcg->swappiness;
@@ -4909,7 +4909,7 @@ static int mem_cgroup_hierarchy_write(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css,
 {
 	int retval = 0;
 	struct mem_cgroup *memcg = mem_cgroup_from_css(css);
-	struct mem_cgroup *parent_memcg = mem_cgroup_from_css(css_parent(&memcg->css));
+	struct mem_cgroup *parent_memcg = mem_cgroup_from_css(memcg->css.parent);
 
 	mutex_lock(&memcg_create_mutex);
 
@@ -5207,8 +5207,8 @@ static void memcg_get_hierarchical_limit(struct mem_cgroup *memcg,
 	if (!memcg->use_hierarchy)
 		goto out;
 
-	while (css_parent(&memcg->css)) {
-		memcg = mem_cgroup_from_css(css_parent(&memcg->css));
+	while (memcg->css.parent) {
+		memcg = mem_cgroup_from_css(memcg->css.parent);
 		if (!memcg->use_hierarchy)
 			break;
 		tmp = res_counter_read_u64(&memcg->res, RES_LIMIT);
@@ -5443,7 +5443,7 @@ static int mem_cgroup_swappiness_write(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css,
 				       struct cftype *cft, u64 val)
 {
 	struct mem_cgroup *memcg = mem_cgroup_from_css(css);
-	struct mem_cgroup *parent = mem_cgroup_from_css(css_parent(&memcg->css));
+	struct mem_cgroup *parent = mem_cgroup_from_css(memcg->css.parent);
 
 	if (val > 100 || !parent)
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -5790,7 +5790,7 @@ static int mem_cgroup_oom_control_write(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css,
 	struct cftype *cft, u64 val)
 {
 	struct mem_cgroup *memcg = mem_cgroup_from_css(css);
-	struct mem_cgroup *parent = mem_cgroup_from_css(css_parent(&memcg->css));
+	struct mem_cgroup *parent = mem_cgroup_from_css(memcg->css.parent);
 
 	/* cannot set to root cgroup and only 0 and 1 are allowed */
 	if (!parent || !((val == 0) || (val == 1)))
@@ -6407,7 +6407,7 @@ static int
 mem_cgroup_css_online(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css)
 {
 	struct mem_cgroup *memcg = mem_cgroup_from_css(css);
-	struct mem_cgroup *parent = mem_cgroup_from_css(css_parent(css));
+	struct mem_cgroup *parent = mem_cgroup_from_css(css->parent);
 
 	if (css->id > MEM_CGROUP_ID_MAX)
 		return -ENOSPC;
diff --git a/net/core/netclassid_cgroup.c b/net/core/netclassid_cgroup.c
index 22931e1b99b4..30d903b19c62 100644
--- a/net/core/netclassid_cgroup.c
+++ b/net/core/netclassid_cgroup.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ cgrp_css_alloc(struct cgroup_subsys_state *parent_css)
 static int cgrp_css_online(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css)
 {
 	struct cgroup_cls_state *cs = css_cls_state(css);
-	struct cgroup_cls_state *parent = css_cls_state(css_parent(css));
+	struct cgroup_cls_state *parent = css_cls_state(css->parent);
 
 	if (parent)
 		cs->classid = parent->classid;
diff --git a/net/core/netprio_cgroup.c b/net/core/netprio_cgroup.c
index b990cefd906b..2f385b9bccc0 100644
--- a/net/core/netprio_cgroup.c
+++ b/net/core/netprio_cgroup.c
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ cgrp_css_alloc(struct cgroup_subsys_state *parent_css)
 
 static int cgrp_css_online(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css)
 {
-	struct cgroup_subsys_state *parent_css = css_parent(css);
+	struct cgroup_subsys_state *parent_css = css->parent;
 	struct net_device *dev;
 	int ret = 0;
 
diff --git a/security/device_cgroup.c b/security/device_cgroup.c
index 7dbac4061b1c..ce14a31b1337 100644
--- a/security/device_cgroup.c
+++ b/security/device_cgroup.c
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ static inline bool is_devcg_online(const struct dev_cgroup *devcg)
 static int devcgroup_online(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css)
 {
 	struct dev_cgroup *dev_cgroup = css_to_devcgroup(css);
-	struct dev_cgroup *parent_dev_cgroup = css_to_devcgroup(css_parent(css));
+	struct dev_cgroup *parent_dev_cgroup = css_to_devcgroup(css->parent);
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	mutex_lock(&devcgroup_mutex);
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ static bool verify_new_ex(struct dev_cgroup *dev_cgroup,
 static int parent_has_perm(struct dev_cgroup *childcg,
 				  struct dev_exception_item *ex)
 {
-	struct dev_cgroup *parent = css_to_devcgroup(css_parent(&childcg->css));
+	struct dev_cgroup *parent = css_to_devcgroup(childcg->css.parent);
 
 	if (!parent)
 		return 1;
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ static int parent_has_perm(struct dev_cgroup *childcg,
 static bool parent_allows_removal(struct dev_cgroup *childcg,
 				  struct dev_exception_item *ex)
 {
-	struct dev_cgroup *parent = css_to_devcgroup(css_parent(&childcg->css));
+	struct dev_cgroup *parent = css_to_devcgroup(childcg->css.parent);
 
 	if (!parent)
 		return true;
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ static int devcgroup_update_access(struct dev_cgroup *devcgroup,
 	char temp[12];		/* 11 + 1 characters needed for a u32 */
 	int count, rc = 0;
 	struct dev_exception_item ex;
-	struct dev_cgroup *parent = css_to_devcgroup(css_parent(&devcgroup->css));
+	struct dev_cgroup *parent = css_to_devcgroup(devcgroup->css.parent);
 
 	if (!capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 		return -EPERM;