diff --git a/include/linux/page_ref.h b/include/linux/page_ref.h
index 760d74a0e9a9..14d14beb1f7f 100644
--- a/include/linux/page_ref.h
+++ b/include/linux/page_ref.h
@@ -175,8 +175,7 @@ static inline void page_ref_unfreeze(struct page *page, int count)
 	VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(page_count(page) != 0, page);
 	VM_BUG_ON(count == 0);
 
-	smp_mb();
-	atomic_set(&page->_refcount, count);
+	atomic_set_release(&page->_refcount, count);
 	if (page_ref_tracepoint_active(__tracepoint_page_ref_unfreeze))
 		__page_ref_unfreeze(page, count);
 }