diff --git a/include/linux/cgroup.h b/include/linux/cgroup.h
index ed2573e149fa..710a005c6b7a 100644
--- a/include/linux/cgroup.h
+++ b/include/linux/cgroup.h
@@ -343,6 +343,26 @@ static inline bool css_tryget_online(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css)
 	return true;
 }
 
+/**
+ * css_is_dying - test whether the specified css is dying
+ * @css: target css
+ *
+ * Test whether @css is in the process of offlining or already offline.  In
+ * most cases, ->css_online() and ->css_offline() callbacks should be
+ * enough; however, the actual offline operations are RCU delayed and this
+ * test returns %true also when @css is scheduled to be offlined.
+ *
+ * This is useful, for example, when the use case requires synchronous
+ * behavior with respect to cgroup removal.  cgroup removal schedules css
+ * offlining but the css can seem alive while the operation is being
+ * delayed.  If the delay affects user visible semantics, this test can be
+ * used to resolve the situation.
+ */
+static inline bool css_is_dying(struct cgroup_subsys_state *css)
+{
+	return !(css->flags & CSS_NO_REF) && percpu_ref_is_dying(&css->refcnt);
+}
+
 /**
  * css_put - put a css reference
  * @css: target css
diff --git a/kernel/cgroup/cpuset.c b/kernel/cgroup/cpuset.c
index f6501f4f6040..ae643412948a 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup/cpuset.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup/cpuset.c
@@ -176,9 +176,9 @@ typedef enum {
 } cpuset_flagbits_t;
 
 /* convenient tests for these bits */
-static inline bool is_cpuset_online(const struct cpuset *cs)
+static inline bool is_cpuset_online(struct cpuset *cs)
 {
-	return test_bit(CS_ONLINE, &cs->flags);
+	return test_bit(CS_ONLINE, &cs->flags) && !css_is_dying(&cs->css);
 }
 
 static inline int is_cpu_exclusive(const struct cpuset *cs)