extern void __ptrace_link(struct task_struct *child,
                          struct task_struct *new_parent);
 extern void __ptrace_unlink(struct task_struct *child);
-extern void exit_ptrace(struct task_struct *tracer);
+extern void exit_ptrace(struct task_struct *tracer, struct list_head *dead);
 #define PTRACE_MODE_READ       0x01
 #define PTRACE_MODE_ATTACH     0x02
 #define PTRACE_MODE_NOAUDIT    0x04
 
        LIST_HEAD(dead_children);
 
        write_lock_irq(&tasklist_lock);
-       /*
-        * Note that exit_ptrace() and find_new_reaper() might
-        * drop tasklist_lock and reacquire it.
-        */
-       exit_ptrace(father);
-       reaper = find_new_reaper(father);
+       if (unlikely(!list_empty(&father->ptraced)))
+               exit_ptrace(father, &dead_children);
 
+       /* Can drop and reacquire tasklist_lock */
+       reaper = find_new_reaper(father);
        list_for_each_entry(p, &father->children, sibling) {
                for_each_thread(p, t) {
                        t->real_parent = reaper;
 
 
 /*
  * Detach all tasks we were using ptrace on. Called with tasklist held
- * for writing, and returns with it held too. But note it can release
- * and reacquire the lock.
+ * for writing.
  */
-void exit_ptrace(struct task_struct *tracer)
-       __releases(&tasklist_lock)
-       __acquires(&tasklist_lock)
+void exit_ptrace(struct task_struct *tracer, struct list_head *dead)
 {
        struct task_struct *p, *n;
-       LIST_HEAD(ptrace_dead);
-
-       if (likely(list_empty(&tracer->ptraced)))
-               return;
 
        list_for_each_entry_safe(p, n, &tracer->ptraced, ptrace_entry) {
                if (unlikely(p->ptrace & PT_EXITKILL))
                        send_sig_info(SIGKILL, SEND_SIG_FORCED, p);
 
                if (__ptrace_detach(tracer, p))
-                       list_add(&p->ptrace_entry, &ptrace_dead);
-       }
-
-       write_unlock_irq(&tasklist_lock);
-       BUG_ON(!list_empty(&tracer->ptraced));
-
-       list_for_each_entry_safe(p, n, &ptrace_dead, ptrace_entry) {
-               list_del_init(&p->ptrace_entry);
-               release_task(p);
+                       list_add(&p->ptrace_entry, dead);
        }
-
-       write_lock_irq(&tasklist_lock);
 }
 
 int ptrace_readdata(struct task_struct *tsk, unsigned long src, char __user *dst, int len)