diff --git a/include/asm-generic/pgtable.h b/include/asm-generic/pgtable.h
index 349260cd86ed..78740716c9e7 100644
--- a/include/asm-generic/pgtable.h
+++ b/include/asm-generic/pgtable.h
@@ -112,8 +112,13 @@ do {				  					  \
 })
 #endif
 
-#ifndef __HAVE_ARCH_PTE_CLEAR_FULL
-#define pte_clear_full(__mm, __address, __ptep, __full)			\
+/*
+ * Some architectures may be able to avoid expensive synchronization
+ * primitives when modifications are made to PTE's which are already
+ * not present, or in the process of an address space destruction.
+ */
+#ifndef __HAVE_ARCH_PTE_CLEAR_NOT_PRESENT_FULL
+#define pte_clear_not_present_full(__mm, __address, __ptep, __full)	\
 do {									\
 	pte_clear((__mm), (__address), (__ptep));			\
 } while (0)
diff --git a/mm/fremap.c b/mm/fremap.c
index aa30618ec6b2..7a9d0f5d246d 100644
--- a/mm/fremap.c
+++ b/mm/fremap.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ static int zap_pte(struct mm_struct *mm, struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 	} else {
 		if (!pte_file(pte))
 			free_swap_and_cache(pte_to_swp_entry(pte));
-		pte_clear(mm, addr, ptep);
+		pte_clear_not_present_full(mm, addr, ptep, 0);
 	}
 	return !!page;
 }
diff --git a/mm/memory.c b/mm/memory.c
index 7707187484cc..2e754621d333 100644
--- a/mm/memory.c
+++ b/mm/memory.c
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ static unsigned long zap_pte_range(struct mmu_gather *tlb,
 			continue;
 		if (!pte_file(ptent))
 			free_swap_and_cache(pte_to_swp_entry(ptent));
-		pte_clear_full(mm, addr, pte, tlb->fullmm);
+		pte_clear_not_present_full(mm, addr, pte, tlb->fullmm);
 	} while (pte++, addr += PAGE_SIZE, (addr != end && *zap_work > 0));
 
 	add_mm_rss(mm, file_rss, anon_rss);