diff --git a/kernel/sched/fair.c b/kernel/sched/fair.c
index 4e298931a715..a17ca4254427 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/fair.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/fair.c
@@ -8876,13 +8876,22 @@ out_all_pinned:
 	sd->nr_balance_failed = 0;
 
 out_one_pinned:
+	ld_moved = 0;
+
+	/*
+	 * idle_balance() disregards balance intervals, so we could repeatedly
+	 * reach this code, which would lead to balance_interval skyrocketting
+	 * in a short amount of time. Skip the balance_interval increase logic
+	 * to avoid that.
+	 */
+	if (env.idle == CPU_NEWLY_IDLE)
+		goto out;
+
 	/* tune up the balancing interval */
 	if ((env.flags & LBF_ALL_PINNED &&
 	     sd->balance_interval < MAX_PINNED_INTERVAL) ||
 	    sd->balance_interval < sd->max_interval)
 		sd->balance_interval *= 2;
-
-	ld_moved = 0;
 out:
 	return ld_moved;
 }