diff --git a/include/linux/shmem_fs.h b/include/linux/shmem_fs.h
index f3fb1edb3526..20d815a33145 100644
--- a/include/linux/shmem_fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/shmem_fs.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ struct shmem_inode_info {
 	struct list_head	swaplist;	/* chain of maybes on swap */
 	struct shared_policy	policy;		/* NUMA memory alloc policy */
 	struct simple_xattrs	xattrs;		/* list of xattrs */
+	atomic_t		stop_eviction;	/* hold when working on inode */
 	struct inode		vfs_inode;
 };
 
diff --git a/mm/shmem.c b/mm/shmem.c
index 859e8628071f..2275a0ff7c30 100644
--- a/mm/shmem.c
+++ b/mm/shmem.c
@@ -1081,9 +1081,14 @@ static void shmem_evict_inode(struct inode *inode)
 			}
 			spin_unlock(&sbinfo->shrinklist_lock);
 		}
-		if (!list_empty(&info->swaplist)) {
+		while (!list_empty(&info->swaplist)) {
+			/* Wait while shmem_unuse() is scanning this inode... */
+			wait_var_event(&info->stop_eviction,
+				       !atomic_read(&info->stop_eviction));
 			mutex_lock(&shmem_swaplist_mutex);
-			list_del_init(&info->swaplist);
+			/* ...but beware of the race if we peeked too early */
+			if (!atomic_read(&info->stop_eviction))
+				list_del_init(&info->swaplist);
 			mutex_unlock(&shmem_swaplist_mutex);
 		}
 	}
@@ -1227,36 +1232,27 @@ int shmem_unuse(unsigned int type, bool frontswap,
 		unsigned long *fs_pages_to_unuse)
 {
 	struct shmem_inode_info *info, *next;
-	struct inode *inode;
-	struct inode *prev_inode = NULL;
 	int error = 0;
 
 	if (list_empty(&shmem_swaplist))
 		return 0;
 
 	mutex_lock(&shmem_swaplist_mutex);
-
-	/*
-	 * The extra refcount on the inode is necessary to safely dereference
-	 * p->next after re-acquiring the lock. New shmem inodes with swap
-	 * get added to the end of the list and we will scan them all.
-	 */
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(info, next, &shmem_swaplist, swaplist) {
 		if (!info->swapped) {
 			list_del_init(&info->swaplist);
 			continue;
 		}
-
-		inode = igrab(&info->vfs_inode);
-		if (!inode)
-			continue;
-
+		/*
+		 * Drop the swaplist mutex while searching the inode for swap;
+		 * but before doing so, make sure shmem_evict_inode() will not
+		 * remove placeholder inode from swaplist, nor let it be freed
+		 * (igrab() would protect from unlink, but not from unmount).
+		 */
+		atomic_inc(&info->stop_eviction);
 		mutex_unlock(&shmem_swaplist_mutex);
-		if (prev_inode)
-			iput(prev_inode);
-		prev_inode = inode;
 
-		error = shmem_unuse_inode(inode, type, frontswap,
+		error = shmem_unuse_inode(&info->vfs_inode, type, frontswap,
 					  fs_pages_to_unuse);
 		cond_resched();
 
@@ -1264,14 +1260,13 @@ int shmem_unuse(unsigned int type, bool frontswap,
 		next = list_next_entry(info, swaplist);
 		if (!info->swapped)
 			list_del_init(&info->swaplist);
+		if (atomic_dec_and_test(&info->stop_eviction))
+			wake_up_var(&info->stop_eviction);
 		if (error)
 			break;
 	}
 	mutex_unlock(&shmem_swaplist_mutex);
 
-	if (prev_inode)
-		iput(prev_inode);
-
 	return error;
 }
 
@@ -2238,6 +2233,7 @@ static struct inode *shmem_get_inode(struct super_block *sb, const struct inode
 		info = SHMEM_I(inode);
 		memset(info, 0, (char *)inode - (char *)info);
 		spin_lock_init(&info->lock);
+		atomic_set(&info->stop_eviction, 0);
 		info->seals = F_SEAL_SEAL;
 		info->flags = flags & VM_NORESERVE;
 		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&info->shrinklist);
diff --git a/mm/swapfile.c b/mm/swapfile.c
index 71383625a582..cf63b5f01adf 100644
--- a/mm/swapfile.c
+++ b/mm/swapfile.c
@@ -2116,12 +2116,11 @@ retry:
 	 * Under global memory pressure, swap entries can be reinserted back
 	 * into process space after the mmlist loop above passes over them.
 	 *
-	 * Limit the number of retries? No: when shmem_unuse()'s igrab() fails,
-	 * a shmem inode using swap is being evicted; and when mmget_not_zero()
-	 * above fails, that mm is likely to be freeing swap from exit_mmap().
-	 * Both proceed at their own independent pace: we could move them to
-	 * separate lists, and wait for those lists to be emptied; but it's
-	 * easier and more robust (though cpu-intensive) just to keep retrying.
+	 * Limit the number of retries? No: when mmget_not_zero() above fails,
+	 * that mm is likely to be freeing swap from exit_mmap(), which proceeds
+	 * at its own independent pace; and even shmem_writepage() could have
+	 * been preempted after get_swap_page(), temporarily hiding that swap.
+	 * It's easy and robust (though cpu-intensive) just to keep retrying.
 	 */
 	if (si->inuse_pages) {
 		if (!signal_pending(current))