static DEFINE_MUTEX(cgroup_root_mutex);
 
+/*
+ * Protects cgroup_subsys->release_agent_path.  Modifying it also requires
+ * cgroup_mutex.  Reading requires either cgroup_mutex or this spinlock.
+ */
+static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(release_agent_path_lock);
+
 #define cgroup_assert_mutex_or_rcu_locked()                            \
        rcu_lockdep_assert(rcu_read_lock_held() ||                      \
                           lockdep_is_held(&cgroup_mutex),              \
        struct cgroup_subsys *ss;
        int ssid;
 
-       mutex_lock(&cgroup_root_mutex);
        for_each_subsys(ss, ssid)
                if (root->subsys_mask & (1 << ssid))
                        seq_printf(seq, ",%s", ss->name);
                seq_puts(seq, ",noprefix");
        if (root->flags & CGRP_ROOT_XATTR)
                seq_puts(seq, ",xattr");
+
+       spin_lock(&release_agent_path_lock);
        if (strlen(root->release_agent_path))
                seq_printf(seq, ",release_agent=%s", root->release_agent_path);
+       spin_unlock(&release_agent_path_lock);
+
        if (test_bit(CGRP_CPUSET_CLONE_CHILDREN, &root->top_cgroup.flags))
                seq_puts(seq, ",clone_children");
        if (strlen(root->name))
                seq_printf(seq, ",name=%s", root->name);
-       mutex_unlock(&cgroup_root_mutex);
        return 0;
 }
 
        if (ret)
                goto out_unlock;
 
-       if (opts.release_agent)
+       if (opts.release_agent) {
+               spin_lock(&release_agent_path_lock);
                strcpy(root->release_agent_path, opts.release_agent);
+               spin_unlock(&release_agent_path_lock);
+       }
  out_unlock:
        kfree(opts.release_agent);
        kfree(opts.name);
        if (!cgroup_lock_live_group(css->cgroup))
                return -ENODEV;
        mutex_lock(&cgroup_root_mutex);
+       spin_lock(&release_agent_path_lock);
        strcpy(css->cgroup->root->release_agent_path, buffer);
+       spin_unlock(&release_agent_path_lock);
        mutex_unlock(&cgroup_root_mutex);
        mutex_unlock(&cgroup_mutex);
        return 0;