diff --git a/Documentation/core-api/printk-formats.rst b/Documentation/core-api/printk-formats.rst
index c37ec7cd9c06..b2cac8d76b66 100644
--- a/Documentation/core-api/printk-formats.rst
+++ b/Documentation/core-api/printk-formats.rst
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ A raw pointer value may be printed with %p which will hash the address
 before printing. The kernel also supports extended specifiers for printing
 pointers of different types.
 
+Some of the extended specifiers print the data on the given address instead
+of printing the address itself. In this case, the following error messages
+might be printed instead of the unreachable information::
+
+	(null)	 data on plain NULL address
+	(efault) data on invalid address
+
 Plain Pointers
 --------------
 
diff --git a/lib/test_printf.c b/lib/test_printf.c
index 250ee864b8b8..359ae4fb1ece 100644
--- a/lib/test_printf.c
+++ b/lib/test_printf.c
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ plain_format(void)
 #define PTR ((void *)0x456789ab)
 #define PTR_STR "456789ab"
 #define PTR_VAL_NO_CRNG "(ptrval)"
+#define ZEROS ""
 
 static int __init
 plain_format(void)
@@ -268,7 +269,6 @@ plain_hash_to_buffer(const void *p, char *buf, size_t len)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-
 static int __init
 plain_hash(void)
 {
@@ -325,6 +325,24 @@ test_hashed(const char *fmt, const void *p)
 	test(buf, fmt, p);
 }
 
+static void __init
+null_pointer(void)
+{
+	test_hashed("%p", NULL);
+	test(ZEROS "00000000", "%px", NULL);
+	test("(null)", "%pE", NULL);
+}
+
+#define PTR_INVALID ((void *)0x000000ab)
+
+static void __init
+invalid_pointer(void)
+{
+	test_hashed("%p", PTR_INVALID);
+	test(ZEROS "000000ab", "%px", PTR_INVALID);
+	test("(efault)", "%pE", PTR_INVALID);
+}
+
 static void __init
 symbol_ptr(void)
 {
@@ -571,6 +589,8 @@ static void __init
 test_pointer(void)
 {
 	plain();
+	null_pointer();
+	invalid_pointer();
 	symbol_ptr();
 	kernel_ptr();
 	struct_resource();
diff --git a/lib/vsprintf.c b/lib/vsprintf.c
index f471a658422f..b989f1e8f35b 100644
--- a/lib/vsprintf.c
+++ b/lib/vsprintf.c
@@ -612,12 +612,45 @@ static char *string_nocheck(char *buf, char *end, const char *s,
 	return widen_string(buf, len, end, spec);
 }
 
+/*
+ * This is not a fool-proof test. 99% of the time that this will fault is
+ * due to a bad pointer, not one that crosses into bad memory. Just test
+ * the address to make sure it doesn't fault due to a poorly added printk
+ * during debugging.
+ */
+static const char *check_pointer_msg(const void *ptr)
+{
+	char byte;
+
+	if (!ptr)
+		return "(null)";
+
+	if (probe_kernel_address(ptr, byte))
+		return "(efault)";
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static int check_pointer(char **buf, char *end, const void *ptr,
+			 struct printf_spec spec)
+{
+	const char *err_msg;
+
+	err_msg = check_pointer_msg(ptr);
+	if (err_msg) {
+		*buf = string_nocheck(*buf, end, err_msg, spec);
+		return -EFAULT;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static noinline_for_stack
 char *string(char *buf, char *end, const char *s,
 	     struct printf_spec spec)
 {
-	if ((unsigned long)s < PAGE_SIZE)
-		s = "(null)";
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, s, spec))
+		return buf;
 
 	return string_nocheck(buf, end, s, spec);
 }
@@ -792,6 +825,11 @@ char *dentry_name(char *buf, char *end, const struct dentry *d, struct printf_sp
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	for (i = 0; i < depth; i++, d = p) {
+		if (check_pointer(&buf, end, d, spec)) {
+			rcu_read_unlock();
+			return buf;
+		}
+
 		p = READ_ONCE(d->d_parent);
 		array[i] = READ_ONCE(d->d_name.name);
 		if (p == d) {
@@ -822,8 +860,12 @@ static noinline_for_stack
 char *bdev_name(char *buf, char *end, struct block_device *bdev,
 		struct printf_spec spec, const char *fmt)
 {
-	struct gendisk *hd = bdev->bd_disk;
-	
+	struct gendisk *hd;
+
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, bdev, spec))
+		return buf;
+
+	hd = bdev->bd_disk;
 	buf = string(buf, end, hd->disk_name, spec);
 	if (bdev->bd_part->partno) {
 		if (isdigit(hd->disk_name[strlen(hd->disk_name)-1])) {
@@ -942,6 +984,9 @@ char *resource_string(char *buf, char *end, struct resource *res,
 	int decode = (fmt[0] == 'R') ? 1 : 0;
 	const struct printf_spec *specp;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, res, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	*p++ = '[';
 	if (res->flags & IORESOURCE_IO) {
 		p = string_nocheck(p, pend, "io  ", str_spec);
@@ -1004,9 +1049,8 @@ char *hex_string(char *buf, char *end, u8 *addr, struct printf_spec spec,
 		/* nothing to print */
 		return buf;
 
-	if (ZERO_OR_NULL_PTR(addr))
-		/* NULL pointer */
-		return string(buf, end, NULL, spec);
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, addr, spec))
+		return buf;
 
 	switch (fmt[1]) {
 	case 'C':
@@ -1053,6 +1097,9 @@ char *bitmap_string(char *buf, char *end, unsigned long *bitmap,
 	int i, chunksz;
 	bool first = true;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, bitmap, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	/* reused to print numbers */
 	spec = (struct printf_spec){ .flags = SMALL | ZEROPAD, .base = 16 };
 
@@ -1094,6 +1141,9 @@ char *bitmap_list_string(char *buf, char *end, unsigned long *bitmap,
 	int cur, rbot, rtop;
 	bool first = true;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, bitmap, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	rbot = cur = find_first_bit(bitmap, nr_bits);
 	while (cur < nr_bits) {
 		rtop = cur;
@@ -1132,6 +1182,9 @@ char *mac_address_string(char *buf, char *end, u8 *addr,
 	char separator;
 	bool reversed = false;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, addr, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	switch (fmt[1]) {
 	case 'F':
 		separator = '-';
@@ -1437,6 +1490,9 @@ char *ip_addr_string(char *buf, char *end, const void *ptr,
 {
 	char *err_fmt_msg;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, ptr, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	switch (fmt[1]) {
 	case '6':
 		return ip6_addr_string(buf, end, ptr, spec, fmt);
@@ -1475,9 +1531,8 @@ char *escaped_string(char *buf, char *end, u8 *addr, struct printf_spec spec,
 	if (spec.field_width == 0)
 		return buf;				/* nothing to print */
 
-	if (ZERO_OR_NULL_PTR(addr))
-		return string(buf, end, NULL, spec);	/* NULL pointer */
-
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, addr, spec))
+		return buf;
 
 	do {
 		switch (fmt[count++]) {
@@ -1523,10 +1578,14 @@ char *escaped_string(char *buf, char *end, u8 *addr, struct printf_spec spec,
 	return buf;
 }
 
-static char *va_format(char *buf, char *end, struct va_format *va_fmt)
+static char *va_format(char *buf, char *end, struct va_format *va_fmt,
+		       struct printf_spec spec, const char *fmt)
 {
 	va_list va;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, va_fmt, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	va_copy(va, *va_fmt->va);
 	buf += vsnprintf(buf, end > buf ? end - buf : 0, va_fmt->fmt, va);
 	va_end(va);
@@ -1544,6 +1603,9 @@ char *uuid_string(char *buf, char *end, const u8 *addr,
 	const u8 *index = uuid_index;
 	bool uc = false;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, addr, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	switch (*(++fmt)) {
 	case 'L':
 		uc = true;		/* fall-through */
@@ -1582,6 +1644,9 @@ char *netdev_bits(char *buf, char *end, const void *addr,
 	unsigned long long num;
 	int size;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, addr, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	switch (fmt[1]) {
 	case 'F':
 		num = *(const netdev_features_t *)addr;
@@ -1595,11 +1660,15 @@ char *netdev_bits(char *buf, char *end, const void *addr,
 }
 
 static noinline_for_stack
-char *address_val(char *buf, char *end, const void *addr, const char *fmt)
+char *address_val(char *buf, char *end, const void *addr,
+		  struct printf_spec spec, const char *fmt)
 {
 	unsigned long long num;
 	int size;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, addr, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	switch (fmt[1]) {
 	case 'd':
 		num = *(const dma_addr_t *)addr;
@@ -1651,12 +1720,16 @@ char *time_str(char *buf, char *end, const struct rtc_time *tm, bool r)
 }
 
 static noinline_for_stack
-char *rtc_str(char *buf, char *end, const struct rtc_time *tm, const char *fmt)
+char *rtc_str(char *buf, char *end, const struct rtc_time *tm,
+	      struct printf_spec spec, const char *fmt)
 {
 	bool have_t = true, have_d = true;
 	bool raw = false;
 	int count = 2;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, tm, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	switch (fmt[count]) {
 	case 'd':
 		have_t = false;
@@ -1690,7 +1763,7 @@ char *time_and_date(char *buf, char *end, void *ptr, struct printf_spec spec,
 {
 	switch (fmt[1]) {
 	case 'R':
-		return rtc_str(buf, end, (const struct rtc_time *)ptr, fmt);
+		return rtc_str(buf, end, (const struct rtc_time *)ptr, spec, fmt);
 	default:
 		return string_nocheck(buf, end, "(%ptR?)", spec);
 	}
@@ -1703,8 +1776,8 @@ char *clock(char *buf, char *end, struct clk *clk, struct printf_spec spec,
 	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_HAVE_CLK))
 		return string_nocheck(buf, end, "(%pC?)", spec);
 
-	if (!clk)
-		return string(buf, end, NULL, spec);
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, clk, spec))
+		return buf;
 
 	switch (fmt[1]) {
 	case 'n':
@@ -1751,6 +1824,9 @@ char *flags_string(char *buf, char *end, void *flags_ptr,
 	unsigned long flags;
 	const struct trace_print_flags *names;
 
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, flags_ptr, spec))
+		return buf;
+
 	switch (fmt[1]) {
 	case 'p':
 		flags = *(unsigned long *)flags_ptr;
@@ -1825,8 +1901,8 @@ char *device_node_string(char *buf, char *end, struct device_node *dn,
 	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_OF))
 		return string_nocheck(buf, end, "(%pOF?)", spec);
 
-	if ((unsigned long)dn < PAGE_SIZE)
-		return string_nocheck(buf, end, "(null)", spec);
+	if (check_pointer(&buf, end, dn, spec))
+		return buf;
 
 	/* simple case without anything any more format specifiers */
 	fmt++;
@@ -2021,18 +2097,6 @@ static noinline_for_stack
 char *pointer(const char *fmt, char *buf, char *end, void *ptr,
 	      struct printf_spec spec)
 {
-	const int default_width = 2 * sizeof(void *);
-
-	if (!ptr && *fmt != 'K' && *fmt != 'x') {
-		/*
-		 * Print (null) with the same width as a pointer so it makes
-		 * tabular output look nice.
-		 */
-		if (spec.field_width == -1)
-			spec.field_width = default_width;
-		return string_nocheck(buf, end, "(null)", spec);
-	}
-
 	switch (*fmt) {
 	case 'F':
 	case 'f':
@@ -2074,13 +2138,13 @@ char *pointer(const char *fmt, char *buf, char *end, void *ptr,
 	case 'U':
 		return uuid_string(buf, end, ptr, spec, fmt);
 	case 'V':
-		return va_format(buf, end, ptr);
+		return va_format(buf, end, ptr, spec, fmt);
 	case 'K':
 		return restricted_pointer(buf, end, ptr, spec);
 	case 'N':
 		return netdev_bits(buf, end, ptr, spec, fmt);
 	case 'a':
-		return address_val(buf, end, ptr, fmt);
+		return address_val(buf, end, ptr, spec, fmt);
 	case 'd':
 		return dentry_name(buf, end, ptr, spec, fmt);
 	case 't':
@@ -2714,11 +2778,13 @@ int vbin_printf(u32 *bin_buf, size_t size, const char *fmt, va_list args)
 
 		case FORMAT_TYPE_STR: {
 			const char *save_str = va_arg(args, char *);
+			const char *err_msg;
 			size_t len;
 
-			if ((unsigned long)save_str > (unsigned long)-PAGE_SIZE
-					|| (unsigned long)save_str < PAGE_SIZE)
-				save_str = "(null)";
+			err_msg = check_pointer_msg(save_str);
+			if (err_msg)
+				save_str = err_msg;
+
 			len = strlen(save_str) + 1;
 			if (str + len < end)
 				memcpy(str, save_str, len);