diff --git a/drivers/block/loop.c b/drivers/block/loop.c
index 66e8c3b94ef3..c8bf270b7890 100644
--- a/drivers/block/loop.c
+++ b/drivers/block/loop.c
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ static int loop_thread(void *data)
 	struct loop_device *lo = data;
 	struct bio *bio;
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 
 	while (!kthread_should_stop() || !bio_list_empty(&lo->lo_bio_list)) {
 
diff --git a/drivers/block/nbd.c b/drivers/block/nbd.c
index 55298db36b2d..2a1f26bd6640 100644
--- a/drivers/block/nbd.c
+++ b/drivers/block/nbd.c
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ static int nbd_thread(void *data)
 	struct nbd_device *nbd = data;
 	struct request *req;
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 	while (!kthread_should_stop() || !list_empty(&nbd->waiting_queue)) {
 		/* wait for something to do */
 		wait_event_interruptible(nbd->waiting_wq,
diff --git a/drivers/block/pktcdvd.c b/drivers/block/pktcdvd.c
index a2af73db187b..ef166ad2dbad 100644
--- a/drivers/block/pktcdvd.c
+++ b/drivers/block/pktcdvd.c
@@ -1463,7 +1463,7 @@ static int kcdrwd(void *foobar)
 	struct packet_data *pkt;
 	long min_sleep_time, residue;
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 	set_freezable();
 
 	for (;;) {
diff --git a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_si_intf.c b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_si_intf.c
index b7efd3c1a882..0f20d3646a46 100644
--- a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_si_intf.c
+++ b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_si_intf.c
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@ static int ipmi_thread(void *data)
 	struct timespec busy_until;
 
 	ipmi_si_set_not_busy(&busy_until);
-	set_user_nice(current, 19);
+	set_user_nice(current, MAX_NICE);
 	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
 		int busy_wait;
 
diff --git a/drivers/s390/crypto/ap_bus.c b/drivers/s390/crypto/ap_bus.c
index ab3baa7f9508..8eec1653c9cc 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/crypto/ap_bus.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/crypto/ap_bus.c
@@ -1803,7 +1803,7 @@ static int ap_poll_thread(void *data)
 	int requests;
 	struct ap_device *ap_dev;
 
-	set_user_nice(current, 19);
+	set_user_nice(current, MAX_NICE);
 	while (1) {
 		if (ap_suspend_flag)
 			return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/bnx2fc/bnx2fc_fcoe.c b/drivers/scsi/bnx2fc/bnx2fc_fcoe.c
index 6287f6a8b79d..3455cc5e4bfd 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/bnx2fc/bnx2fc_fcoe.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/bnx2fc/bnx2fc_fcoe.c
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ static int bnx2fc_l2_rcv_thread(void *arg)
 	struct fcoe_percpu_s *bg = arg;
 	struct sk_buff *skb;
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 	set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
 		schedule();
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ int bnx2fc_percpu_io_thread(void *arg)
 	struct bnx2fc_work *work, *tmp;
 	LIST_HEAD(work_list);
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 	set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
 		schedule();
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/bnx2i/bnx2i_hwi.c b/drivers/scsi/bnx2i/bnx2i_hwi.c
index b5ffd280a1ae..d6d491c2f004 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/bnx2i/bnx2i_hwi.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/bnx2i/bnx2i_hwi.c
@@ -1870,7 +1870,7 @@ int bnx2i_percpu_io_thread(void *arg)
 	struct bnx2i_work *work, *tmp;
 	LIST_HEAD(work_list);
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 
 	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
 		spin_lock_bh(&p->p_work_lock);
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/fcoe/fcoe.c b/drivers/scsi/fcoe/fcoe.c
index f3170008ae71..843a679d2a5e 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/fcoe/fcoe.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/fcoe/fcoe.c
@@ -1872,7 +1872,7 @@ static int fcoe_percpu_receive_thread(void *arg)
 
 	skb_queue_head_init(&tmp);
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 
 retry:
 	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi/ibmvfc.c b/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi/ibmvfc.c
index 23f5ba5e6472..8dd47689d584 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi/ibmvfc.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi/ibmvfc.c
@@ -4515,7 +4515,7 @@ static int ibmvfc_work(void *data)
 	struct ibmvfc_host *vhost = data;
 	int rc;
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 
 	while (1) {
 		rc = wait_event_interruptible(vhost->work_wait_q,
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi/ibmvscsi.c b/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi/ibmvscsi.c
index fa764406df68..2ebfb2bb0f42 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi/ibmvscsi.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/ibmvscsi/ibmvscsi.c
@@ -2213,7 +2213,7 @@ static int ibmvscsi_work(void *data)
 	struct ibmvscsi_host_data *hostdata = data;
 	int rc;
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 
 	while (1) {
 		rc = wait_event_interruptible(hostdata->work_wait_q,
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_hbadisc.c b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_hbadisc.c
index 59b51c529ba0..294c072e9083 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_hbadisc.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/lpfc/lpfc_hbadisc.c
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ lpfc_do_work(void *p)
 	struct lpfc_hba *phba = p;
 	int rc;
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 	current->flags |= PF_NOFREEZE;
 	phba->data_flags = 0;
 
diff --git a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_os.c b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_os.c
index 19e99cc33724..afc84814e9bb 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_os.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/qla2xxx/qla_os.c
@@ -4828,7 +4828,7 @@ qla2x00_do_dpc(void *data)
 	ha = (struct qla_hw_data *)data;
 	base_vha = pci_get_drvdata(ha->pdev);
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 
 	set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
diff --git a/drivers/staging/android/binder.c b/drivers/staging/android/binder.c
index cfe4bc8f05cb..179b21b66504 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/android/binder.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/android/binder.c
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ static void binder_set_nice(long nice)
 		     "%d: nice value %ld not allowed use %ld instead\n",
 		      current->pid, nice, min_nice);
 	set_user_nice(current, min_nice);
-	if (min_nice < 20)
+	if (min_nice <= MAX_NICE)
 		return;
 	binder_user_error("%d RLIMIT_NICE not set\n", current->pid);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/lloop.c b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/lloop.c
index f78eda235c7a..d4c2cd91add4 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/lloop.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/lustre/lustre/llite/lloop.c
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ static int loop_thread(void *data)
 	int refcheck;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 
 	lo->lo_state = LLOOP_BOUND;
 
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c b/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c
index bf482dfed14f..73039295d0d1 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/cluster/heartbeat.c
@@ -1107,7 +1107,7 @@ static int o2hb_thread(void *data)
 
 	mlog(ML_HEARTBEAT|ML_KTHREAD, "hb thread running\n");
 
-	set_user_nice(current, -20);
+	set_user_nice(current, MIN_NICE);
 
 	/* Pin node */
 	o2nm_depend_this_node();
diff --git a/kernel/locking/locktorture.c b/kernel/locking/locktorture.c
index f26b1a18e34e..23343be46e91 100644
--- a/kernel/locking/locktorture.c
+++ b/kernel/locking/locktorture.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ static int lock_torture_writer(void *arg)
 	static DEFINE_TORTURE_RANDOM(rand);
 
 	VERBOSE_TOROUT_STRING("lock_torture_writer task started");
-	set_user_nice(current, 19);
+	set_user_nice(current, MAX_NICE);
 
 	do {
 		schedule_timeout_uninterruptible(1);
diff --git a/kernel/workqueue.c b/kernel/workqueue.c
index 0ee63af30bd1..c30c01b32ece 100644
--- a/kernel/workqueue.c
+++ b/kernel/workqueue.c
@@ -100,10 +100,10 @@ enum {
 
 	/*
 	 * Rescue workers are used only on emergencies and shared by
-	 * all cpus.  Give -20.
+	 * all cpus.  Give MIN_NICE.
 	 */
-	RESCUER_NICE_LEVEL	= -20,
-	HIGHPRI_NICE_LEVEL	= -20,
+	RESCUER_NICE_LEVEL	= MIN_NICE,
+	HIGHPRI_NICE_LEVEL	= MIN_NICE,
 
 	WQ_NAME_LEN		= 24,
 };
diff --git a/mm/huge_memory.c b/mm/huge_memory.c
index 1546655a2d78..dcdb6f9adea1 100644
--- a/mm/huge_memory.c
+++ b/mm/huge_memory.c
@@ -2803,7 +2803,7 @@ static int khugepaged(void *none)
 	struct mm_slot *mm_slot;
 
 	set_freezable();
-	set_user_nice(current, 19);
+	set_user_nice(current, MAX_NICE);
 
 	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
 		khugepaged_do_scan();