diff --git a/include/linux/mempolicy.h b/include/linux/mempolicy.h
index 5228c62af416..bac395f1d00a 100644
--- a/include/linux/mempolicy.h
+++ b/include/linux/mempolicy.h
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ struct mempolicy *mpol_shared_policy_lookup(struct shared_policy *sp,
 struct mempolicy *get_task_policy(struct task_struct *p);
 struct mempolicy *__get_vma_policy(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 		unsigned long addr);
+struct mempolicy *get_vma_policy(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
+						unsigned long addr);
 bool vma_policy_mof(struct vm_area_struct *vma);
 
 extern void numa_default_policy(void);
diff --git a/mm/huge_memory.c b/mm/huge_memory.c
index f7e388b8662d..738065f765ab 100644
--- a/mm/huge_memory.c
+++ b/mm/huge_memory.c
@@ -647,27 +647,37 @@ release:
 static inline gfp_t alloc_hugepage_direct_gfpmask(struct vm_area_struct *vma, unsigned long addr)
 {
 	const bool vma_madvised = !!(vma->vm_flags & VM_HUGEPAGE);
-	const gfp_t gfp_mask = GFP_TRANSHUGE_LIGHT | __GFP_THISNODE;
+	gfp_t this_node = 0;
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_NUMA
+	struct mempolicy *pol;
+	/*
+	 * __GFP_THISNODE is used only when __GFP_DIRECT_RECLAIM is not
+	 * specified, to express a general desire to stay on the current
+	 * node for optimistic allocation attempts. If the defrag mode
+	 * and/or madvise hint requires the direct reclaim then we prefer
+	 * to fallback to other node rather than node reclaim because that
+	 * can lead to excessive reclaim even though there is free memory
+	 * on other nodes. We expect that NUMA preferences are specified
+	 * by memory policies.
+	 */
+	pol = get_vma_policy(vma, addr);
+	if (pol->mode != MPOL_BIND)
+		this_node = __GFP_THISNODE;
+	mpol_cond_put(pol);
+#endif
 
-	/* Always do synchronous compaction */
 	if (test_bit(TRANSPARENT_HUGEPAGE_DEFRAG_DIRECT_FLAG, &transparent_hugepage_flags))
-		return GFP_TRANSHUGE | __GFP_THISNODE |
-		       (vma_madvised ? 0 : __GFP_NORETRY);
-
-	/* Kick kcompactd and fail quickly */
+		return GFP_TRANSHUGE | (vma_madvised ? 0 : __GFP_NORETRY);
 	if (test_bit(TRANSPARENT_HUGEPAGE_DEFRAG_KSWAPD_FLAG, &transparent_hugepage_flags))
-		return gfp_mask | __GFP_KSWAPD_RECLAIM;
-
-	/* Synchronous compaction if madvised, otherwise kick kcompactd */
+		return GFP_TRANSHUGE_LIGHT | __GFP_KSWAPD_RECLAIM | this_node;
 	if (test_bit(TRANSPARENT_HUGEPAGE_DEFRAG_KSWAPD_OR_MADV_FLAG, &transparent_hugepage_flags))
-		return gfp_mask | (vma_madvised ? __GFP_DIRECT_RECLAIM :
-						  __GFP_KSWAPD_RECLAIM);
-
-	/* Only do synchronous compaction if madvised */
+		return GFP_TRANSHUGE_LIGHT | (vma_madvised ? __GFP_DIRECT_RECLAIM :
+							     __GFP_KSWAPD_RECLAIM | this_node);
 	if (test_bit(TRANSPARENT_HUGEPAGE_DEFRAG_REQ_MADV_FLAG, &transparent_hugepage_flags))
-		return gfp_mask | (vma_madvised ? __GFP_DIRECT_RECLAIM : 0);
-
-	return gfp_mask;
+		return GFP_TRANSHUGE_LIGHT | (vma_madvised ? __GFP_DIRECT_RECLAIM :
+							     this_node);
+	return GFP_TRANSHUGE_LIGHT | this_node;
 }
 
 /* Caller must hold page table lock. */
diff --git a/mm/mempolicy.c b/mm/mempolicy.c
index 9c9877a43d58..65e0874fce17 100644
--- a/mm/mempolicy.c
+++ b/mm/mempolicy.c
@@ -1734,7 +1734,7 @@ struct mempolicy *__get_vma_policy(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
  * freeing by another task.  It is the caller's responsibility to free the
  * extra reference for shared policies.
  */
-static struct mempolicy *get_vma_policy(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
+struct mempolicy *get_vma_policy(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 						unsigned long addr)
 {
 	struct mempolicy *pol = __get_vma_policy(vma, addr);