diff --git a/include/linux/cgroup.h b/include/linux/cgroup.h
index e9c3eac074e2..bdfdb3a1a83c 100644
--- a/include/linux/cgroup.h
+++ b/include/linux/cgroup.h
@@ -456,9 +456,9 @@ static inline struct cgroup *task_cgroup(struct task_struct *task,
 }
 
 /* no synchronization, the result can only be used as a hint */
-static inline bool cgroup_has_tasks(struct cgroup *cgrp)
+static inline bool cgroup_is_populated(struct cgroup *cgrp)
 {
-	return !list_empty(&cgrp->cset_links);
+	return cgrp->populated_cnt;
 }
 
 /* returns ino associated with a cgroup */
diff --git a/kernel/cgroup.c b/kernel/cgroup.c
index e5231d045eb9..435aa686567b 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup.c
@@ -3121,7 +3121,7 @@ static ssize_t cgroup_subtree_control_write(struct kernfs_open_file *of,
 static int cgroup_events_show(struct seq_file *seq, void *v)
 {
 	seq_printf(seq, "populated %d\n",
-		   (bool)seq_css(seq)->cgroup->populated_cnt);
+		   cgroup_is_populated(seq_css(seq)->cgroup));
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -5558,7 +5558,7 @@ void cgroup_exit(struct task_struct *tsk)
 
 static void check_for_release(struct cgroup *cgrp)
 {
-	if (notify_on_release(cgrp) && !cgroup_has_tasks(cgrp) &&
+	if (notify_on_release(cgrp) && !cgroup_is_populated(cgrp) &&
 	    !css_has_online_children(&cgrp->self) && !cgroup_is_dead(cgrp))
 		schedule_work(&cgrp->release_agent_work);
 }
@@ -5806,7 +5806,7 @@ static int cgroup_css_links_read(struct seq_file *seq, void *v)
 
 static u64 releasable_read(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css, struct cftype *cft)
 {
-	return (!cgroup_has_tasks(css->cgroup) &&
+	return (!cgroup_is_populated(css->cgroup) &&
 		!css_has_online_children(&css->cgroup->self));
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/cpuset.c b/kernel/cpuset.c
index e4d999929903..d7ccb87a6714 100644
--- a/kernel/cpuset.c
+++ b/kernel/cpuset.c
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ static int validate_change(struct cpuset *cur, struct cpuset *trial)
 	 * be changed to have empty cpus_allowed or mems_allowed.
 	 */
 	ret = -ENOSPC;
-	if ((cgroup_has_tasks(cur->css.cgroup) || cur->attach_in_progress)) {
+	if ((cgroup_is_populated(cur->css.cgroup) || cur->attach_in_progress)) {
 		if (!cpumask_empty(cur->cpus_allowed) &&
 		    cpumask_empty(trial->cpus_allowed))
 			goto out;
diff --git a/mm/memcontrol.c b/mm/memcontrol.c
index 33c8dad6830f..0ddd0ff2b52e 100644
--- a/mm/memcontrol.c
+++ b/mm/memcontrol.c
@@ -2920,7 +2920,7 @@ static int memcg_activate_kmem(struct mem_cgroup *memcg,
 	 * of course permitted.
 	 */
 	mutex_lock(&memcg_create_mutex);
-	if (cgroup_has_tasks(memcg->css.cgroup) ||
+	if (cgroup_is_populated(memcg->css.cgroup) ||
 	    (memcg->use_hierarchy && memcg_has_children(memcg)))
 		err = -EBUSY;
 	mutex_unlock(&memcg_create_mutex);