diff --git a/kernel/signal.c b/kernel/signal.c
index 8272cac5f429..f95a4423519d 100644
--- a/kernel/signal.c
+++ b/kernel/signal.c
@@ -906,8 +906,8 @@ static bool prepare_signal(int sig, struct task_struct *p, bool force)
 	struct task_struct *t;
 	sigset_t flush;
 
-	if (signal->flags & (SIGNAL_GROUP_EXIT | SIGNAL_GROUP_COREDUMP)) {
-		if (!(signal->flags & SIGNAL_GROUP_EXIT))
+	if ((signal->flags & SIGNAL_GROUP_EXIT) || signal->core_state) {
+		if (signal->core_state)
 			return sig == SIGKILL;
 		/*
 		 * The process is in the middle of dying, nothing to do.