diff --git a/include/linux/rmap.h b/include/linux/rmap.h
index 567d43f29a10..77216742c178 100644
--- a/include/linux/rmap.h
+++ b/include/linux/rmap.h
@@ -26,11 +26,17 @@
  */
 struct anon_vma {
 	spinlock_t lock;	/* Serialize access to vma list */
-#ifdef CONFIG_KSM
-	atomic_t ksm_refcount;
-#endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_MIGRATION
-	atomic_t migrate_refcount;
+#if defined(CONFIG_KSM) || defined(CONFIG_MIGRATION)
+
+	/*
+	 * The external_refcount is taken by either KSM or page migration
+	 * to take a reference to an anon_vma when there is no
+	 * guarantee that the vma of page tables will exist for
+	 * the duration of the operation. A caller that takes
+	 * the reference is responsible for clearing up the
+	 * anon_vma if they are the last user on release
+	 */
+	atomic_t external_refcount;
 #endif
 	/*
 	 * NOTE: the LSB of the head.next is set by
@@ -64,46 +70,26 @@ struct anon_vma_chain {
 };
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MMU
-#ifdef CONFIG_KSM
-static inline void ksm_refcount_init(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
+#if defined(CONFIG_KSM) || defined(CONFIG_MIGRATION)
+static inline void anonvma_external_refcount_init(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
 {
-	atomic_set(&anon_vma->ksm_refcount, 0);
+	atomic_set(&anon_vma->external_refcount, 0);
 }
 
-static inline int ksm_refcount(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
+static inline int anonvma_external_refcount(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
 {
-	return atomic_read(&anon_vma->ksm_refcount);
+	return atomic_read(&anon_vma->external_refcount);
 }
 #else
-static inline void ksm_refcount_init(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
+static inline void anonvma_external_refcount_init(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
 {
 }
 
-static inline int ksm_refcount(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
+static inline int anonvma_external_refcount(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_KSM */
-#ifdef CONFIG_MIGRATION
-static inline void migrate_refcount_init(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
-{
-	atomic_set(&anon_vma->migrate_refcount, 0);
-}
-
-static inline int migrate_refcount(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
-{
-	return atomic_read(&anon_vma->migrate_refcount);
-}
-#else
-static inline void migrate_refcount_init(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
-{
-}
-
-static inline int migrate_refcount(struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-#endif /* CONFIG_MIGRATE */
 
 static inline struct anon_vma *page_anon_vma(struct page *page)
 {
diff --git a/mm/ksm.c b/mm/ksm.c
index 956880f2ff49..6c3e99b4ae7c 100644
--- a/mm/ksm.c
+++ b/mm/ksm.c
@@ -318,14 +318,14 @@ static void hold_anon_vma(struct rmap_item *rmap_item,
 			  struct anon_vma *anon_vma)
 {
 	rmap_item->anon_vma = anon_vma;
-	atomic_inc(&anon_vma->ksm_refcount);
+	atomic_inc(&anon_vma->external_refcount);
 }
 
 static void drop_anon_vma(struct rmap_item *rmap_item)
 {
 	struct anon_vma *anon_vma = rmap_item->anon_vma;
 
-	if (atomic_dec_and_lock(&anon_vma->ksm_refcount, &anon_vma->lock)) {
+	if (atomic_dec_and_lock(&anon_vma->external_refcount, &anon_vma->lock)) {
 		int empty = list_empty(&anon_vma->head);
 		spin_unlock(&anon_vma->lock);
 		if (empty)
diff --git a/mm/migrate.c b/mm/migrate.c
index b768a1d4fa43..42a3d24d1107 100644
--- a/mm/migrate.c
+++ b/mm/migrate.c
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ static int unmap_and_move(new_page_t get_new_page, unsigned long private,
 		rcu_read_lock();
 		rcu_locked = 1;
 		anon_vma = page_anon_vma(page);
-		atomic_inc(&anon_vma->migrate_refcount);
+		atomic_inc(&anon_vma->external_refcount);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ skip_unmap:
 rcu_unlock:
 
 	/* Drop an anon_vma reference if we took one */
-	if (anon_vma && atomic_dec_and_lock(&anon_vma->migrate_refcount, &anon_vma->lock)) {
+	if (anon_vma && atomic_dec_and_lock(&anon_vma->external_refcount, &anon_vma->lock)) {
 		int empty = list_empty(&anon_vma->head);
 		spin_unlock(&anon_vma->lock);
 		if (empty)
diff --git a/mm/rmap.c b/mm/rmap.c
index f522cb008646..b5c320f7d0a5 100644
--- a/mm/rmap.c
+++ b/mm/rmap.c
@@ -250,8 +250,7 @@ static void anon_vma_unlink(struct anon_vma_chain *anon_vma_chain)
 	list_del(&anon_vma_chain->same_anon_vma);
 
 	/* We must garbage collect the anon_vma if it's empty */
-	empty = list_empty(&anon_vma->head) && !ksm_refcount(anon_vma) &&
-					!migrate_refcount(anon_vma);
+	empty = list_empty(&anon_vma->head) && !anonvma_external_refcount(anon_vma);
 	spin_unlock(&anon_vma->lock);
 
 	if (empty)
@@ -275,8 +274,7 @@ static void anon_vma_ctor(void *data)
 	struct anon_vma *anon_vma = data;
 
 	spin_lock_init(&anon_vma->lock);
-	ksm_refcount_init(anon_vma);
-	migrate_refcount_init(anon_vma);
+	anonvma_external_refcount_init(anon_vma);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&anon_vma->head);
 }