diff --git a/kernel/rcu/rcuperf.c b/kernel/rcu/rcuperf.c
index 4513807cd4c4..5a879d073c1c 100644
--- a/kernel/rcu/rcuperf.c
+++ b/kernel/rcu/rcuperf.c
@@ -375,6 +375,14 @@ rcu_perf_writer(void *arg)
 	if (holdoff)
 		schedule_timeout_uninterruptible(holdoff * HZ);
 
+	/*
+	 * Wait until rcu_end_inkernel_boot() is called for normal GP tests
+	 * so that RCU is not always expedited for normal GP tests.
+	 * The system_state test is approximate, but works well in practice.
+	 */
+	while (!gp_exp && system_state != SYSTEM_RUNNING)
+		schedule_timeout_uninterruptible(1);
+
 	t = ktime_get_mono_fast_ns();
 	if (atomic_inc_return(&n_rcu_perf_writer_started) >= nrealwriters) {
 		t_rcu_perf_writer_started = t;