diff --git a/kernel/cpuset.c b/kernel/cpuset.c
index da766c3736c4..f8340026d01c 100644
--- a/kernel/cpuset.c
+++ b/kernel/cpuset.c
@@ -877,6 +877,13 @@ static void update_cpumasks_hier(struct cpuset *cs, struct cpumask *new_cpus)
 
 		cpumask_and(new_cpus, cp->cpus_allowed, parent->effective_cpus);
 
+		/*
+		 * If it becomes empty, inherit the effective mask of the
+		 * parent, which is guaranteed to have some CPUs.
+		 */
+		if (cpumask_empty(new_cpus))
+			cpumask_copy(new_cpus, parent->effective_cpus);
+
 		/* Skip the whole subtree if the cpumask remains the same. */
 		if (cpumask_equal(new_cpus, cp->effective_cpus)) {
 			pos_css = css_rightmost_descendant(pos_css);
@@ -1123,6 +1130,13 @@ static void update_nodemasks_hier(struct cpuset *cs, nodemask_t *new_mems)
 
 		nodes_and(*new_mems, cp->mems_allowed, parent->effective_mems);
 
+		/*
+		 * If it becomes empty, inherit the effective mask of the
+		 * parent, which is guaranteed to have some MEMs.
+		 */
+		if (nodes_empty(*new_mems))
+			*new_mems = parent->effective_mems;
+
 		/* Skip the whole subtree if the nodemask remains the same. */
 		if (nodes_equal(*new_mems, cp->effective_mems)) {
 			pos_css = css_rightmost_descendant(pos_css);
@@ -2102,7 +2116,11 @@ retry:
 
 	mutex_lock(&callback_mutex);
 	cpumask_andnot(cs->cpus_allowed, cs->cpus_allowed, &off_cpus);
+
+	/* Inherit the effective mask of the parent, if it becomes empty. */
 	cpumask_andnot(cs->effective_cpus, cs->effective_cpus, &off_cpus);
+	if (on_dfl && cpumask_empty(cs->effective_cpus))
+		cpumask_copy(cs->effective_cpus, parent_cs(cs)->effective_cpus);
 	mutex_unlock(&callback_mutex);
 
 	/*
@@ -2117,7 +2135,11 @@ retry:
 
 	mutex_lock(&callback_mutex);
 	nodes_andnot(cs->mems_allowed, cs->mems_allowed, off_mems);
+
+	/* Inherit the effective mask of the parent, if it becomes empty */
 	nodes_andnot(cs->effective_mems, cs->effective_mems, off_mems);
+	if (on_dfl && nodes_empty(cs->effective_mems))
+		cs->effective_mems = parent_cs(cs)->effective_mems;
 	mutex_unlock(&callback_mutex);
 
 	/*