diff --git a/Documentation/assoc_array.txt b/Documentation/assoc_array.txt
index f4faec0f66e4..2f2c6cdd73c0 100644
--- a/Documentation/assoc_array.txt
+++ b/Documentation/assoc_array.txt
@@ -164,10 +164,10 @@ This points to a number of methods, all of which need to be provided:
 
  (4) Diff the index keys of two objects.
 
-	int (*diff_objects)(const void *a, const void *b);
+	int (*diff_objects)(const void *object, const void *index_key);
 
-     Return the bit position at which the index keys of two objects differ or
-     -1 if they are the same.
+     Return the bit position at which the index key of the specified object
+     differs from the given index key or -1 if they are the same.
 
 
  (5) Free an object.
diff --git a/include/linux/assoc_array.h b/include/linux/assoc_array.h
index 9a193b84238a..a89df3be1686 100644
--- a/include/linux/assoc_array.h
+++ b/include/linux/assoc_array.h
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ struct assoc_array_ops {
 	/* Is this the object we're looking for? */
 	bool (*compare_object)(const void *object, const void *index_key);
 
-	/* How different are two objects, to a bit position in their keys? (or
-	 * -1 if they're the same)
+	/* How different is an object from an index key, to a bit position in
+	 * their keys? (or -1 if they're the same)
 	 */
-	int (*diff_objects)(const void *a, const void *b);
+	int (*diff_objects)(const void *object, const void *index_key);
 
 	/* Method to free an object. */
 	void (*free_object)(void *object);
diff --git a/lib/assoc_array.c b/lib/assoc_array.c
index 17edeaf19180..1b6a44f1ec3e 100644
--- a/lib/assoc_array.c
+++ b/lib/assoc_array.c
@@ -759,8 +759,8 @@ all_leaves_cluster_together:
 	pr_devel("all leaves cluster together\n");
 	diff = INT_MAX;
 	for (i = 0; i < ASSOC_ARRAY_FAN_OUT; i++) {
-		int x = ops->diff_objects(assoc_array_ptr_to_leaf(edit->leaf),
-					  assoc_array_ptr_to_leaf(node->slots[i]));
+		int x = ops->diff_objects(assoc_array_ptr_to_leaf(node->slots[i]),
+					  index_key);
 		if (x < diff) {
 			BUG_ON(x < 0);
 			diff = x;
diff --git a/security/keys/keyring.c b/security/keys/keyring.c
index 0adbc77a59b9..3dd8445cd489 100644
--- a/security/keys/keyring.c
+++ b/security/keys/keyring.c
@@ -279,12 +279,11 @@ static bool keyring_compare_object(const void *object, const void *data)
  * Compare the index keys of a pair of objects and determine the bit position
  * at which they differ - if they differ.
  */
-static int keyring_diff_objects(const void *_a, const void *_b)
+static int keyring_diff_objects(const void *object, const void *data)
 {
-	const struct key *key_a = keyring_ptr_to_key(_a);
-	const struct key *key_b = keyring_ptr_to_key(_b);
+	const struct key *key_a = keyring_ptr_to_key(object);
 	const struct keyring_index_key *a = &key_a->index_key;
-	const struct keyring_index_key *b = &key_b->index_key;
+	const struct keyring_index_key *b = data;
 	unsigned long seg_a, seg_b;
 	int level, i;