diff --git a/kernel/events/core.c b/kernel/events/core.c
index 284232edf9be..5aeb4c74fb99 100644
--- a/kernel/events/core.c
+++ b/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -5468,7 +5468,7 @@ static void perf_mmap_close(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 
 		/* this has to be the last one */
 		rb_free_aux(rb);
-		WARN_ON_ONCE(atomic_read(&rb->aux_refcount));
+		WARN_ON_ONCE(refcount_read(&rb->aux_refcount));
 
 		mutex_unlock(&event->mmap_mutex);
 	}
diff --git a/kernel/events/internal.h b/kernel/events/internal.h
index 4718de2a04e6..79c47076700a 100644
--- a/kernel/events/internal.h
+++ b/kernel/events/internal.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ struct ring_buffer {
 	atomic_t			aux_mmap_count;
 	unsigned long			aux_mmap_locked;
 	void				(*free_aux)(void *);
-	atomic_t			aux_refcount;
+	refcount_t			aux_refcount;
 	void				**aux_pages;
 	void				*aux_priv;
 
diff --git a/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c b/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c
index 0a71d16ca41b..805f0423ee0b 100644
--- a/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c
+++ b/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ void *perf_aux_output_begin(struct perf_output_handle *handle,
 	if (!atomic_read(&rb->aux_mmap_count))
 		goto err;
 
-	if (!atomic_inc_not_zero(&rb->aux_refcount))
+	if (!refcount_inc_not_zero(&rb->aux_refcount))
 		goto err;
 
 	/*
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ int rb_alloc_aux(struct ring_buffer *rb, struct perf_event *event,
 	 * we keep a refcount here to make sure either of the two can
 	 * reference them safely.
 	 */
-	atomic_set(&rb->aux_refcount, 1);
+	refcount_set(&rb->aux_refcount, 1);
 
 	rb->aux_overwrite = overwrite;
 	rb->aux_watermark = watermark;
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ out:
 
 void rb_free_aux(struct ring_buffer *rb)
 {
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&rb->aux_refcount))
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&rb->aux_refcount))
 		__rb_free_aux(rb);
 }