diff --git a/kernel/rcu/tree.c b/kernel/rcu/tree.c
index 5f458e4efc95..d6a015e68649 100644
--- a/kernel/rcu/tree.c
+++ b/kernel/rcu/tree.c
@@ -1093,8 +1093,11 @@ static void rcu_disable_urgency_upon_qs(struct rcu_data *rdp)
  * CPU can safely enter RCU read-side critical sections.  In other words,
  * if the current CPU is not in its idle loop or is in an interrupt or
  * NMI handler, return true.
+ *
+ * Make notrace because it can be called by the internal functions of
+ * ftrace, and making this notrace removes unnecessary recursion calls.
  */
-bool rcu_is_watching(void)
+notrace bool rcu_is_watching(void)
 {
 	bool ret;