diff --git a/fs/pipe.c b/fs/pipe.c
index bcc2192d33e2..58f236c65bea 100644
--- a/fs/pipe.c
+++ b/fs/pipe.c
@@ -348,18 +348,11 @@ pipe_read(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *to)
 
 		if (!pipe->writers)
 			break;
-		if (!pipe->waiting_writers) {
-			/* syscall merging: Usually we must not sleep
-			 * if O_NONBLOCK is set, or if we got some data.
-			 * But if a writer sleeps in kernel space, then
-			 * we can wait for that data without violating POSIX.
-			 */
-			if (ret)
-				break;
-			if (filp->f_flags & O_NONBLOCK) {
-				ret = -EAGAIN;
-				break;
-			}
+		if (ret)
+			break;
+		if (filp->f_flags & O_NONBLOCK) {
+			ret = -EAGAIN;
+			break;
 		}
 		if (signal_pending(current)) {
 			if (!ret)
@@ -540,9 +533,7 @@ pipe_write(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *from)
 			wake_up_interruptible_sync_poll(&pipe->wait, EPOLLIN | EPOLLRDNORM);
 			kill_fasync(&pipe->fasync_readers, SIGIO, POLL_IN);
 		}
-		pipe->waiting_writers++;
 		pipe_wait(pipe);
-		pipe->waiting_writers--;
 
 		was_empty = pipe_empty(head, pipe->tail);
 	}
diff --git a/fs/splice.c b/fs/splice.c
index fa1f3773c8cd..3009652a41c8 100644
--- a/fs/splice.c
+++ b/fs/splice.c
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ static int splice_from_pipe_next(struct pipe_inode_info *pipe, struct splice_des
 		if (!pipe->writers)
 			return 0;
 
-		if (!pipe->waiting_writers && sd->num_spliced)
+		if (sd->num_spliced)
 			return 0;
 
 		if (sd->flags & SPLICE_F_NONBLOCK)
@@ -1098,9 +1098,7 @@ static int wait_for_space(struct pipe_inode_info *pipe, unsigned flags)
 			return -EAGAIN;
 		if (signal_pending(current))
 			return -ERESTARTSYS;
-		pipe->waiting_writers++;
 		pipe_wait(pipe);
-		pipe->waiting_writers--;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1482,11 +1480,9 @@ static int ipipe_prep(struct pipe_inode_info *pipe, unsigned int flags)
 		}
 		if (!pipe->writers)
 			break;
-		if (!pipe->waiting_writers) {
-			if (flags & SPLICE_F_NONBLOCK) {
-				ret = -EAGAIN;
-				break;
-			}
+		if (flags & SPLICE_F_NONBLOCK) {
+			ret = -EAGAIN;
+			break;
 		}
 		pipe_wait(pipe);
 	}
@@ -1527,9 +1523,7 @@ static int opipe_prep(struct pipe_inode_info *pipe, unsigned int flags)
 			ret = -ERESTARTSYS;
 			break;
 		}
-		pipe->waiting_writers++;
 		pipe_wait(pipe);
-		pipe->waiting_writers--;
 	}
 
 	pipe_unlock(pipe);
@@ -1751,13 +1745,6 @@ static int link_pipe(struct pipe_inode_info *ipipe,
 		i_tail++;
 	} while (len);
 
-	/*
-	 * return EAGAIN if we have the potential of some data in the
-	 * future, otherwise just return 0
-	 */
-	if (!ret && ipipe->waiting_writers && (flags & SPLICE_F_NONBLOCK))
-		ret = -EAGAIN;
-
 	pipe_unlock(ipipe);
 	pipe_unlock(opipe);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/pipe_fs_i.h b/include/linux/pipe_fs_i.h
index 44f2245debda..dbcfa6892384 100644
--- a/include/linux/pipe_fs_i.h
+++ b/include/linux/pipe_fs_i.h
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ struct pipe_buffer {
  *	@readers: number of current readers of this pipe
  *	@writers: number of current writers of this pipe
  *	@files: number of struct file referring this pipe (protected by ->i_lock)
- *	@waiting_writers: number of writers blocked waiting for room
  *	@r_counter: reader counter
  *	@w_counter: writer counter
  *	@fasync_readers: reader side fasync
@@ -56,7 +55,6 @@ struct pipe_inode_info {
 	unsigned int readers;
 	unsigned int writers;
 	unsigned int files;
-	unsigned int waiting_writers;
 	unsigned int r_counter;
 	unsigned int w_counter;
 	struct page *tmp_page;