diff --git a/include/linux/blk-cgroup.h b/include/linux/blk-cgroup.h
index 10648e300c93..4e8c215e185c 100644
--- a/include/linux/blk-cgroup.h
+++ b/include/linux/blk-cgroup.h
@@ -343,16 +343,7 @@ static inline struct blkcg *cpd_to_blkcg(struct blkcg_policy_data *cpd)
  */
 static inline int blkg_path(struct blkcg_gq *blkg, char *buf, int buflen)
 {
-	char *p;
-
-	p = cgroup_path(blkg->blkcg->css.cgroup, buf, buflen);
-	if (!p) {
-		strncpy(buf, "<unavailable>", buflen);
-		return -ENAMETOOLONG;
-	}
-
-	memmove(buf, p, buf + buflen - p);
-	return 0;
+	return cgroup_path(blkg->blkcg->css.cgroup, buf, buflen);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/linux/cgroup.h b/include/linux/cgroup.h
index 5a9abdee43fe..6df36361a492 100644
--- a/include/linux/cgroup.h
+++ b/include/linux/cgroup.h
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ int cgroup_add_legacy_cftypes(struct cgroup_subsys *ss, struct cftype *cfts);
 int cgroup_rm_cftypes(struct cftype *cfts);
 void cgroup_file_notify(struct cgroup_file *cfile);
 
-char *task_cgroup_path(struct task_struct *task, char *buf, size_t buflen);
+int task_cgroup_path(struct task_struct *task, char *buf, size_t buflen);
 int cgroupstats_build(struct cgroupstats *stats, struct dentry *dentry);
 int proc_cgroup_show(struct seq_file *m, struct pid_namespace *ns,
 		     struct pid *pid, struct task_struct *tsk);
@@ -538,15 +538,9 @@ static inline int cgroup_name(struct cgroup *cgrp, char *buf, size_t buflen)
 	return kernfs_name(cgrp->kn, buf, buflen);
 }
 
-static inline char * __must_check cgroup_path(struct cgroup *cgrp, char *buf,
-					      size_t buflen)
+static inline int cgroup_path(struct cgroup *cgrp, char *buf, size_t buflen)
 {
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = kernfs_path(cgrp->kn, buf, buflen);
-	if (ret < 0 || ret >= buflen)
-		return NULL;
-	return buf;
+	return kernfs_path(cgrp->kn, buf, buflen);
 }
 
 static inline void pr_cont_cgroup_name(struct cgroup *cgrp)
@@ -639,8 +633,8 @@ struct cgroup_namespace *copy_cgroup_ns(unsigned long flags,
 					struct user_namespace *user_ns,
 					struct cgroup_namespace *old_ns);
 
-char *cgroup_path_ns(struct cgroup *cgrp, char *buf, size_t buflen,
-		     struct cgroup_namespace *ns);
+int cgroup_path_ns(struct cgroup *cgrp, char *buf, size_t buflen,
+		   struct cgroup_namespace *ns);
 
 #else /* !CONFIG_CGROUPS */
 
diff --git a/kernel/cgroup.c b/kernel/cgroup.c
index d1c51b7f5221..3861161e460f 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup.c
@@ -2315,22 +2315,18 @@ static struct file_system_type cgroup2_fs_type = {
 	.fs_flags = FS_USERNS_MOUNT,
 };
 
-static char *cgroup_path_ns_locked(struct cgroup *cgrp, char *buf, size_t buflen,
-				   struct cgroup_namespace *ns)
+static int cgroup_path_ns_locked(struct cgroup *cgrp, char *buf, size_t buflen,
+				 struct cgroup_namespace *ns)
 {
 	struct cgroup *root = cset_cgroup_from_root(ns->root_cset, cgrp->root);
-	int ret;
 
-	ret = kernfs_path_from_node(cgrp->kn, root->kn, buf, buflen);
-	if (ret < 0 || ret >= buflen)
-		return NULL;
-	return buf;
+	return kernfs_path_from_node(cgrp->kn, root->kn, buf, buflen);
 }
 
-char *cgroup_path_ns(struct cgroup *cgrp, char *buf, size_t buflen,
-		     struct cgroup_namespace *ns)
+int cgroup_path_ns(struct cgroup *cgrp, char *buf, size_t buflen,
+		   struct cgroup_namespace *ns)
 {
-	char *ret;
+	int ret;
 
 	mutex_lock(&cgroup_mutex);
 	spin_lock_irq(&css_set_lock);
@@ -2357,12 +2353,12 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(cgroup_path_ns);
  *
  * Return value is the same as kernfs_path().
  */
-char *task_cgroup_path(struct task_struct *task, char *buf, size_t buflen)
+int task_cgroup_path(struct task_struct *task, char *buf, size_t buflen)
 {
 	struct cgroup_root *root;
 	struct cgroup *cgrp;
 	int hierarchy_id = 1;
-	char *path = NULL;
+	int ret;
 
 	mutex_lock(&cgroup_mutex);
 	spin_lock_irq(&css_set_lock);
@@ -2371,16 +2367,15 @@ char *task_cgroup_path(struct task_struct *task, char *buf, size_t buflen)
 
 	if (root) {
 		cgrp = task_cgroup_from_root(task, root);
-		path = cgroup_path_ns_locked(cgrp, buf, buflen, &init_cgroup_ns);
+		ret = cgroup_path_ns_locked(cgrp, buf, buflen, &init_cgroup_ns);
 	} else {
 		/* if no hierarchy exists, everyone is in "/" */
-		if (strlcpy(buf, "/", buflen) < buflen)
-			path = buf;
+		ret = strlcpy(buf, "/", buflen);
 	}
 
 	spin_unlock_irq(&css_set_lock);
 	mutex_unlock(&cgroup_mutex);
-	return path;
+	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(task_cgroup_path);
 
@@ -5716,7 +5711,7 @@ core_initcall(cgroup_wq_init);
 int proc_cgroup_show(struct seq_file *m, struct pid_namespace *ns,
 		     struct pid *pid, struct task_struct *tsk)
 {
-	char *buf, *path;
+	char *buf;
 	int retval;
 	struct cgroup_root *root;
 
@@ -5759,17 +5754,17 @@ int proc_cgroup_show(struct seq_file *m, struct pid_namespace *ns,
 		 * " (deleted)" is appended to the cgroup path.
 		 */
 		if (cgroup_on_dfl(cgrp) || !(tsk->flags & PF_EXITING)) {
-			path = cgroup_path_ns_locked(cgrp, buf, PATH_MAX,
+			retval = cgroup_path_ns_locked(cgrp, buf, PATH_MAX,
 						current->nsproxy->cgroup_ns);
-			if (!path) {
+			if (retval >= PATH_MAX) {
 				retval = -ENAMETOOLONG;
 				goto out_unlock;
 			}
-		} else {
-			path = "/";
-		}
 
-		seq_puts(m, path);
+			seq_puts(m, buf);
+		} else {
+			seq_puts(m, "/");
+		}
 
 		if (cgroup_on_dfl(cgrp) && cgroup_is_dead(cgrp))
 			seq_puts(m, " (deleted)\n");
@@ -6035,8 +6030,9 @@ static void cgroup_release_agent(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct cgroup *cgrp =
 		container_of(work, struct cgroup, release_agent_work);
-	char *pathbuf = NULL, *agentbuf = NULL, *path;
+	char *pathbuf = NULL, *agentbuf = NULL;
 	char *argv[3], *envp[3];
+	int ret;
 
 	mutex_lock(&cgroup_mutex);
 
@@ -6046,13 +6042,13 @@ static void cgroup_release_agent(struct work_struct *work)
 		goto out;
 
 	spin_lock_irq(&css_set_lock);
-	path = cgroup_path_ns_locked(cgrp, pathbuf, PATH_MAX, &init_cgroup_ns);
+	ret = cgroup_path_ns_locked(cgrp, pathbuf, PATH_MAX, &init_cgroup_ns);
 	spin_unlock_irq(&css_set_lock);
-	if (!path)
+	if (ret >= PATH_MAX)
 		goto out;
 
 	argv[0] = agentbuf;
-	argv[1] = path;
+	argv[1] = pathbuf;
 	argv[2] = NULL;
 
 	/* minimal command environment */
diff --git a/kernel/cpuset.c b/kernel/cpuset.c
index c7fd2778ed50..793ae6fd96dc 100644
--- a/kernel/cpuset.c
+++ b/kernel/cpuset.c
@@ -2689,7 +2689,7 @@ void __cpuset_memory_pressure_bump(void)
 int proc_cpuset_show(struct seq_file *m, struct pid_namespace *ns,
 		     struct pid *pid, struct task_struct *tsk)
 {
-	char *buf, *p;
+	char *buf;
 	struct cgroup_subsys_state *css;
 	int retval;
 
@@ -2700,18 +2700,18 @@ int proc_cpuset_show(struct seq_file *m, struct pid_namespace *ns,
 
 	retval = -ENAMETOOLONG;
 	css = task_get_css(tsk, cpuset_cgrp_id);
-	p = cgroup_path_ns(css->cgroup, buf, PATH_MAX,
-			   current->nsproxy->cgroup_ns);
+	retval = cgroup_path_ns(css->cgroup, buf, PATH_MAX,
+				current->nsproxy->cgroup_ns);
 	css_put(css);
-	if (!p)
+	if (retval >= PATH_MAX)
 		goto out_free;
-	seq_puts(m, p);
+	seq_puts(m, buf);
 	seq_putc(m, '\n');
 	retval = 0;
 out_free:
 	kfree(buf);
 out:
-	return retval;
+	return 0;
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_PROC_PID_CPUSET */
 
diff --git a/kernel/sched/debug.c b/kernel/sched/debug.c
index 2a0a9995256d..23cb609ba4eb 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/debug.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/debug.c
@@ -410,7 +410,8 @@ static char *task_group_path(struct task_group *tg)
 	if (autogroup_path(tg, group_path, PATH_MAX))
 		return group_path;
 
-	return cgroup_path(tg->css.cgroup, group_path, PATH_MAX);
+	cgroup_path(tg->css.cgroup, group_path, PATH_MAX);
+	return group_path;
 }
 #endif