diff --git a/include/linux/cred.h b/include/linux/cred.h
index 917dc5aeb1d4..ebbed2ce6637 100644
--- a/include/linux/cred.h
+++ b/include/linux/cred.h
@@ -277,17 +277,13 @@ static inline void put_cred(const struct cred *_cred)
  * @task: The task to query
  *
  * Access the objective credentials of a task.  The caller must hold the RCU
- * readlock or the task must be dead and unable to change its own credentials.
+ * readlock.
  *
  * The result of this function should not be passed directly to get_cred();
  * rather get_task_cred() should be used instead.
  */
-#define __task_cred(task)						\
-	({								\
-		const struct task_struct *__t = (task);			\
-		rcu_dereference_check(__t->real_cred,			\
-				      task_is_dead(__t));		\
-	})
+#define __task_cred(task)	\
+	rcu_dereference((task)->real_cred)
 
 /**
  * get_current_cred - Get the current task's subjective credentials
diff --git a/kernel/exit.c b/kernel/exit.c
index 910a0716e17a..3281493ce7ad 100644
--- a/kernel/exit.c
+++ b/kernel/exit.c
@@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@ static int wait_task_zombie(struct wait_opts *wo, struct task_struct *p)
 	unsigned long state;
 	int retval, status, traced;
 	pid_t pid = task_pid_vnr(p);
-	uid_t uid = from_kuid_munged(current_user_ns(), __task_cred(p)->uid);
+	uid_t uid = from_kuid_munged(current_user_ns(), task_uid(p));
 	struct siginfo __user *infop;
 
 	if (!likely(wo->wo_flags & WEXITED))