diff --git a/include/linux/rcuwait.h b/include/linux/rcuwait.h
index 2ffe1ee6d482..6ebb23258a27 100644
--- a/include/linux/rcuwait.h
+++ b/include/linux/rcuwait.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ static inline void rcuwait_init(struct rcuwait *w)
 	w->task = NULL;
 }
 
-extern void rcuwait_wake_up(struct rcuwait *w);
+extern int rcuwait_wake_up(struct rcuwait *w);
 
 /*
  * The caller is responsible for locking around rcuwait_wait_event(),
diff --git a/kernel/exit.c b/kernel/exit.c
index 9f9015f3f6b0..f3beb637acf7 100644
--- a/kernel/exit.c
+++ b/kernel/exit.c
@@ -227,8 +227,9 @@ void release_task(struct task_struct *p)
 		goto repeat;
 }
 
-void rcuwait_wake_up(struct rcuwait *w)
+int rcuwait_wake_up(struct rcuwait *w)
 {
+	int ret = 0;
 	struct task_struct *task;
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
@@ -248,8 +249,10 @@ void rcuwait_wake_up(struct rcuwait *w)
 
 	task = rcu_dereference(w->task);
 	if (task)
-		wake_up_process(task);
+		ret = wake_up_process(task);
 	rcu_read_unlock();
+
+	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rcuwait_wake_up);