diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/pci-dma.c b/arch/x86/kernel/pci-dma.c
index 872079a67e4d..f7d0672481fd 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/pci-dma.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/pci-dma.c
@@ -100,8 +100,10 @@ void *dma_generic_alloc_coherent(struct device *dev, size_t size,
 	flag |= __GFP_ZERO;
 again:
 	page = NULL;
-	if (!(flag & GFP_ATOMIC))
+	/* CMA can be used only in the context which permits sleeping */
+	if (flag & __GFP_WAIT)
 		page = dma_alloc_from_contiguous(dev, count, get_order(size));
+	/* fallback */
 	if (!page)
 		page = alloc_pages_node(dev_to_node(dev), flag, get_order(size));
 	if (!page)