diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c
index e1d87ee1d9c6..b864584c92b4 100644
--- a/mm/page_alloc.c
+++ b/mm/page_alloc.c
@@ -821,11 +821,23 @@ retry:
 
 			/*
 			 * If breaking a large block of pages, move all free
-			 * pages to the preferred allocation list
+			 * pages to the preferred allocation list. If falling
+			 * back for a reclaimable kernel allocation, be more
+			 * agressive about taking ownership of free pages
 			 */
-			if (unlikely(current_order >= MAX_ORDER / 2)) {
+			if (unlikely(current_order >= MAX_ORDER / 2) ||
+					start_migratetype == MIGRATE_RECLAIMABLE) {
+				unsigned long pages;
+				pages = move_freepages_block(zone, page,
+								start_migratetype);
+
+				/* Claim the whole block if over half of it is free */
+				if ((pages << current_order) >= (1 << (MAX_ORDER-2)) &&
+						migratetype != MIGRATE_HIGHATOMIC)
+					set_pageblock_migratetype(page,
+								start_migratetype);
+
 				migratetype = start_migratetype;
-				move_freepages_block(zone, page, migratetype);
 			}
 
 			/* Remove the page from the freelists */