diff --git a/kernel/sys.c b/kernel/sys.c
index 81f56445fba9..39c9c4a2949f 100644
--- a/kernel/sys.c
+++ b/kernel/sys.c
@@ -2185,9 +2185,8 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE3(getcpu, unsigned __user *, cpup, unsigned __user *, nodep,
 
 char poweroff_cmd[POWEROFF_CMD_PATH_LEN] = "/sbin/poweroff";
 
-static int __orderly_poweroff(void)
+static int __orderly_poweroff(bool force)
 {
-	int argc;
 	char **argv;
 	static char *envp[] = {
 		"HOME=/",
@@ -2196,35 +2195,19 @@ static int __orderly_poweroff(void)
 	};
 	int ret;
 
-	argv = argv_split(GFP_ATOMIC, poweroff_cmd, &argc);
-	if (argv == NULL) {
+	argv = argv_split(GFP_KERNEL, poweroff_cmd, NULL);
+	if (argv) {
+		ret = call_usermodehelper(argv[0], argv, envp, UMH_WAIT_EXEC);
+		argv_free(argv);
+	} else {
 		printk(KERN_WARNING "%s failed to allocate memory for \"%s\"\n",
-		       __func__, poweroff_cmd);
-		return -ENOMEM;
+					 __func__, poweroff_cmd);
+		ret = -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	ret = call_usermodehelper_fns(argv[0], argv, envp, UMH_WAIT_EXEC,
-				      NULL, NULL, NULL);
-	argv_free(argv);
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
-/**
- * orderly_poweroff - Trigger an orderly system poweroff
- * @force: force poweroff if command execution fails
- *
- * This may be called from any context to trigger a system shutdown.
- * If the orderly shutdown fails, it will force an immediate shutdown.
- */
-int orderly_poweroff(bool force)
-{
-	int ret = __orderly_poweroff();
-
 	if (ret && force) {
 		printk(KERN_WARNING "Failed to start orderly shutdown: "
-		       "forcing the issue\n");
-
+					"forcing the issue\n");
 		/*
 		 * I guess this should try to kick off some daemon to sync and
 		 * poweroff asap.  Or not even bother syncing if we're doing an
@@ -2236,4 +2219,28 @@ int orderly_poweroff(bool force)
 
 	return ret;
 }
+
+static bool poweroff_force;
+
+static void poweroff_work_func(struct work_struct *work)
+{
+	__orderly_poweroff(poweroff_force);
+}
+
+static DECLARE_WORK(poweroff_work, poweroff_work_func);
+
+/**
+ * orderly_poweroff - Trigger an orderly system poweroff
+ * @force: force poweroff if command execution fails
+ *
+ * This may be called from any context to trigger a system shutdown.
+ * If the orderly shutdown fails, it will force an immediate shutdown.
+ */
+int orderly_poweroff(bool force)
+{
+	if (force) /* do not override the pending "true" */
+		poweroff_force = true;
+	schedule_work(&poweroff_work);
+	return 0;
+}
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(orderly_poweroff);