diff --git a/kernel/rcu/tree.c b/kernel/rcu/tree.c
index f8c029971bb3..db1a9fdaeab8 100644
--- a/kernel/rcu/tree.c
+++ b/kernel/rcu/tree.c
@@ -3259,9 +3259,9 @@ static void __init rcu_init_levelspread(struct rcu_state *rsp)
 {
 	int i;
 
-	for (i = rcu_num_lvls - 1; i > 0; i--)
+	rsp->levelspread[rcu_num_lvls - 1] = rcu_fanout_leaf;
+	for (i = rcu_num_lvls - 2; i >= 0; i--)
 		rsp->levelspread[i] = CONFIG_RCU_FANOUT;
-	rsp->levelspread[0] = rcu_fanout_leaf;
 }
 #else /* #ifdef CONFIG_RCU_FANOUT_EXACT */
 static void __init rcu_init_levelspread(struct rcu_state *rsp)