diff --git a/include/linux/kthread.h b/include/linux/kthread.h
index c1c3e63d52c1..4fec8b775895 100644
--- a/include/linux/kthread.h
+++ b/include/linux/kthread.h
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ __printf(2, 3)
 struct kthread_worker *
 kthread_create_worker(unsigned int flags, const char namefmt[], ...);
 
-struct kthread_worker *
+__printf(3, 4) struct kthread_worker *
 kthread_create_worker_on_cpu(int cpu, unsigned int flags,
 			     const char namefmt[], ...);
 
diff --git a/kernel/kthread.c b/kernel/kthread.c
index 956495f0efaf..2318fba86277 100644
--- a/kernel/kthread.c
+++ b/kernel/kthread.c
@@ -261,7 +261,8 @@ static void create_kthread(struct kthread_create_info *create)
 	}
 }
 
-static struct task_struct *__kthread_create_on_node(int (*threadfn)(void *data),
+static __printf(4, 0)
+struct task_struct *__kthread_create_on_node(int (*threadfn)(void *data),
 						    void *data, int node,
 						    const char namefmt[],
 						    va_list args)
@@ -635,7 +636,7 @@ repeat:
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(kthread_worker_fn);
 
-static struct kthread_worker *
+static __printf(3, 0) struct kthread_worker *
 __kthread_create_worker(int cpu, unsigned int flags,
 			const char namefmt[], va_list args)
 {