diff --git a/kernel/trace/ftrace.c b/kernel/trace/ftrace.c
index 442438b93fe9..750aa3f08b25 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/ftrace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/ftrace.c
@@ -1248,12 +1248,17 @@ static void free_ftrace_hash_rcu(struct ftrace_hash *hash)
 	call_rcu(&hash->rcu, __free_ftrace_hash_rcu);
 }
 
+/**
+ * ftrace_free_filter - remove all filters for an ftrace_ops
+ * @ops - the ops to remove the filters from
+ */
 void ftrace_free_filter(struct ftrace_ops *ops)
 {
 	ftrace_ops_init(ops);
 	free_ftrace_hash(ops->func_hash->filter_hash);
 	free_ftrace_hash(ops->func_hash->notrace_hash);
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ftrace_free_filter);
 
 static struct ftrace_hash *alloc_ftrace_hash(int size_bits)
 {
@@ -5839,6 +5844,10 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(modify_ftrace_direct_multi);
  *
  * Filters denote which functions should be enabled when tracing is enabled
  * If @ip is NULL, it fails to update filter.
+ *
+ * This can allocate memory which must be freed before @ops can be freed,
+ * either by removing each filtered addr or by using
+ * ftrace_free_filter(@ops).
  */
 int ftrace_set_filter_ip(struct ftrace_ops *ops, unsigned long ip,
 			 int remove, int reset)
@@ -5858,7 +5867,11 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ftrace_set_filter_ip);
  *
  * Filters denote which functions should be enabled when tracing is enabled
  * If @ips array or any ip specified within is NULL , it fails to update filter.
- */
+ *
+ * This can allocate memory which must be freed before @ops can be freed,
+ * either by removing each filtered addr or by using
+ * ftrace_free_filter(@ops).
+*/
 int ftrace_set_filter_ips(struct ftrace_ops *ops, unsigned long *ips,
 			  unsigned int cnt, int remove, int reset)
 {
@@ -5900,6 +5913,10 @@ ftrace_set_regex(struct ftrace_ops *ops, unsigned char *buf, int len,
  *
  * Filters denote which functions should be enabled when tracing is enabled.
  * If @buf is NULL and reset is set, all functions will be enabled for tracing.
+ *
+ * This can allocate memory which must be freed before @ops can be freed,
+ * either by removing each filtered addr or by using
+ * ftrace_free_filter(@ops).
  */
 int ftrace_set_filter(struct ftrace_ops *ops, unsigned char *buf,
 		       int len, int reset)
@@ -5919,6 +5936,10 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ftrace_set_filter);
  * Notrace Filters denote which functions should not be enabled when tracing
  * is enabled. If @buf is NULL and reset is set, all functions will be enabled
  * for tracing.
+ *
+ * This can allocate memory which must be freed before @ops can be freed,
+ * either by removing each filtered addr or by using
+ * ftrace_free_filter(@ops).
  */
 int ftrace_set_notrace(struct ftrace_ops *ops, unsigned char *buf,
 			int len, int reset)
diff --git a/samples/ftrace/ftrace-direct-multi-modify.c b/samples/ftrace/ftrace-direct-multi-modify.c
index d52370cad0b6..a825dbd2c9cf 100644
--- a/samples/ftrace/ftrace-direct-multi-modify.c
+++ b/samples/ftrace/ftrace-direct-multi-modify.c
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ static void __exit ftrace_direct_multi_exit(void)
 {
 	kthread_stop(simple_tsk);
 	unregister_ftrace_direct_multi(&direct, my_tramp);
+	ftrace_free_filter(&direct);
 }
 
 module_init(ftrace_direct_multi_init);
diff --git a/samples/ftrace/ftrace-direct-multi.c b/samples/ftrace/ftrace-direct-multi.c
index ec1088922517..d955a2650605 100644
--- a/samples/ftrace/ftrace-direct-multi.c
+++ b/samples/ftrace/ftrace-direct-multi.c
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ static int __init ftrace_direct_multi_init(void)
 static void __exit ftrace_direct_multi_exit(void)
 {
 	unregister_ftrace_direct_multi(&direct, (unsigned long) my_tramp);
+	ftrace_free_filter(&direct);
 }
 
 module_init(ftrace_direct_multi_init);