diff --git a/include/linux/sched/sd_flags.h b/include/linux/sched/sd_flags.h
index 373dc45c024e..c24a45b05fbb 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched/sd_flags.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched/sd_flags.h
@@ -7,29 +7,124 @@
 # error "Incorrect import of SD flags definitions"
 #endif
 
-/* Balance when about to become idle */
-SD_FLAG(SD_BALANCE_NEWIDLE)
-/* Balance on exec */
-SD_FLAG(SD_BALANCE_EXEC)
-/* Balance on fork, clone */
-SD_FLAG(SD_BALANCE_FORK)
-/* Balance on wakeup */
-SD_FLAG(SD_BALANCE_WAKE)
-/* Wake task to waking CPU */
-SD_FLAG(SD_WAKE_AFFINE)
-/* Domain members have different CPU capacities */
-SD_FLAG(SD_ASYM_CPUCAPACITY)
-/* Domain members share CPU capacity */
-SD_FLAG(SD_SHARE_CPUCAPACITY)
-/* Domain members share CPU pkg resources */
-SD_FLAG(SD_SHARE_PKG_RESOURCES)
-/* Only a single load balancing instance */
-SD_FLAG(SD_SERIALIZE)
-/* Place busy groups earlier in the domain */
-SD_FLAG(SD_ASYM_PACKING)
-/* Prefer to place tasks in a sibling domain */
-SD_FLAG(SD_PREFER_SIBLING)
-/* sched_domains of this level overlap */
-SD_FLAG(SD_OVERLAP)
-/* cross-node balancing */
-SD_FLAG(SD_NUMA)
+/*
+ * Expected flag uses
+ *
+ * SHARED_CHILD: These flags are meant to be set from the base domain upwards.
+ * If a domain has this flag set, all of its children should have it set. This
+ * is usually because the flag describes some shared resource (all CPUs in that
+ * domain share the same resource), or because they are tied to a scheduling
+ * behaviour that we want to disable at some point in the hierarchy for
+ * scalability reasons.
+ *
+ * In those cases it doesn't make sense to have the flag set for a domain but
+ * not have it in (some of) its children: sched domains ALWAYS span their child
+ * domains, so operations done with parent domains will cover CPUs in the lower
+ * child domains.
+ *
+ *
+ * SHARED_PARENT: These flags are meant to be set from the highest domain
+ * downwards. If a domain has this flag set, all of its parents should have it
+ * set. This is usually for topology properties that start to appear above a
+ * certain level (e.g. domain starts spanning CPUs outside of the base CPU's
+ * socket).
+ */
+#define SDF_SHARED_CHILD 0x1
+#define SDF_SHARED_PARENT 0x2
+
+/*
+ * Balance when about to become idle
+ *
+ * SHARED_CHILD: Set from the base domain up to cpuset.sched_relax_domain_level.
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_BALANCE_NEWIDLE, SDF_SHARED_CHILD)
+
+/*
+ * Balance on exec
+ *
+ * SHARED_CHILD: Set from the base domain up to the NUMA reclaim level.
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_BALANCE_EXEC, SDF_SHARED_CHILD)
+
+/*
+ * Balance on fork, clone
+ *
+ * SHARED_CHILD: Set from the base domain up to the NUMA reclaim level.
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_BALANCE_FORK, SDF_SHARED_CHILD)
+
+/*
+ * Balance on wakeup
+ *
+ * SHARED_CHILD: Set from the base domain up to cpuset.sched_relax_domain_level.
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_BALANCE_WAKE, SDF_SHARED_CHILD)
+
+/*
+ * Consider waking task on waking CPU.
+ *
+ * SHARED_CHILD: Set from the base domain up to the NUMA reclaim level.
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_WAKE_AFFINE, SDF_SHARED_CHILD)
+
+/*
+ * Domain members have different CPU capacities
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_ASYM_CPUCAPACITY, 0)
+
+/*
+ * Domain members share CPU capacity (i.e. SMT)
+ *
+ * SHARED_CHILD: Set from the base domain up until spanned CPUs no longer share
+ * CPU capacity.
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_SHARE_CPUCAPACITY, SDF_SHARED_CHILD)
+
+/*
+ * Domain members share CPU package resources (i.e. caches)
+ *
+ * SHARED_CHILD: Set from the base domain up until spanned CPUs no longer share
+ * the same cache(s).
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_SHARE_PKG_RESOURCES, SDF_SHARED_CHILD)
+
+/*
+ * Only a single load balancing instance
+ *
+ * SHARED_PARENT: Set for all NUMA levels above NODE. Could be set from a
+ * different level upwards, but it doesn't change that if a domain has this flag
+ * set, then all of its parents need to have it too (otherwise the serialization
+ * doesn't make sense).
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_SERIALIZE, SDF_SHARED_PARENT)
+
+/*
+ * Place busy tasks earlier in the domain
+ *
+ * SHARED_CHILD: Usually set on the SMT level. Technically could be set further
+ * up, but currently assumed to be set from the base domain upwards (see
+ * update_top_cache_domain()).
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_ASYM_PACKING, SDF_SHARED_CHILD)
+
+/*
+ * Prefer to place tasks in a sibling domain
+ *
+ * Set up until domains start spanning NUMA nodes. Close to being a SHARED_CHILD
+ * flag, but cleared below domains with SD_ASYM_CPUCAPACITY.
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_PREFER_SIBLING, 0)
+
+/*
+ * sched_groups of this level overlap
+ *
+ * SHARED_PARENT: Set for all NUMA levels above NODE.
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_OVERLAP, SDF_SHARED_PARENT)
+
+/*
+ * Cross-node balancing
+ *
+ * SHARED_PARENT: Set for all NUMA levels above NODE.
+ */
+SD_FLAG(SD_NUMA, SDF_SHARED_PARENT)
diff --git a/include/linux/sched/topology.h b/include/linux/sched/topology.h
index 3e41c0401b5f..32f602ff37a0 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched/topology.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched/topology.h
@@ -12,19 +12,30 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
 
 /* Generate SD flag indexes */
-#define SD_FLAG(name) __##name,
+#define SD_FLAG(name, mflags) __##name,
 enum {
 	#include <linux/sched/sd_flags.h>
 	__SD_FLAG_CNT,
 };
 #undef SD_FLAG
 /* Generate SD flag bits */
-#define SD_FLAG(name) name = 1 << __##name,
+#define SD_FLAG(name, mflags) name = 1 << __##name,
 enum {
 	#include <linux/sched/sd_flags.h>
 };
 #undef SD_FLAG
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_SCHED_DEBUG
+#define SD_FLAG(_name, mflags) [__##_name] = { .meta_flags = mflags, .name = #_name },
+static const struct {
+	unsigned int meta_flags;
+	char *name;
+} sd_flag_debug[] = {
+#include <linux/sched/sd_flags.h>
+};
+#undef SD_FLAG
+#endif
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_SCHED_SMT
 static inline int cpu_smt_flags(void)
 {