diff --git a/fs/timerfd.c b/fs/timerfd.c
index 6a6fc8aa1de7..48305ba41e3c 100644
--- a/fs/timerfd.c
+++ b/fs/timerfd.c
@@ -471,7 +471,11 @@ static int do_timerfd_settime(int ufd, int flags,
 				break;
 		}
 		spin_unlock_irq(&ctx->wqh.lock);
-		cpu_relax();
+
+		if (isalarm(ctx))
+			hrtimer_cancel_wait_running(&ctx->t.alarm.timer);
+		else
+			hrtimer_cancel_wait_running(&ctx->t.tmr);
 	}
 
 	/*