diff --git a/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c b/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
index 3fc11b8851ac..109c32c56de7 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
@@ -4080,20 +4080,25 @@ static void css_task_iter_advance(struct css_task_iter *it)
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&css_set_lock);
 repeat:
-	/*
-	 * Advance iterator to find next entry.  cset->tasks is consumed
-	 * first and then ->mg_tasks.  After ->mg_tasks, we move onto the
-	 * next cset.
-	 */
-	next = it->task_pos->next;
+	if (it->task_pos) {
+		/*
+		 * Advance iterator to find next entry.  cset->tasks is
+		 * consumed first and then ->mg_tasks.  After ->mg_tasks,
+		 * we move onto the next cset.
+		 */
+		next = it->task_pos->next;
 
-	if (next == it->tasks_head)
-		next = it->mg_tasks_head->next;
+		if (next == it->tasks_head)
+			next = it->mg_tasks_head->next;
 
-	if (next == it->mg_tasks_head)
+		if (next == it->mg_tasks_head)
+			css_task_iter_advance_css_set(it);
+		else
+			it->task_pos = next;
+	} else {
+		/* called from start, proceed to the first cset */
 		css_task_iter_advance_css_set(it);
-	else
-		it->task_pos = next;
+	}
 
 	/* if PROCS, skip over tasks which aren't group leaders */
 	if ((it->flags & CSS_TASK_ITER_PROCS) && it->task_pos &&
@@ -4133,7 +4138,7 @@ void css_task_iter_start(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css, unsigned int flags,
 
 	it->cset_head = it->cset_pos;
 
-	css_task_iter_advance_css_set(it);
+	css_task_iter_advance(it);
 
 	spin_unlock_irq(&css_set_lock);
 }