diff --git a/kernel/sched/fair.c b/kernel/sched/fair.c
index 94377254254e..df1ed176c7b7 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/fair.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/fair.c
@@ -6273,12 +6273,11 @@ static inline void calculate_imbalance(struct lb_env *env, struct sd_lb_stats *s
 		return fix_small_imbalance(env, sds);
 	}
 
-	if (busiest->group_type == group_overloaded) {
-		/*
-		 * Don't want to pull so many tasks that a group would go idle.
-		 * Except of course for the group_imb case, since then we might
-		 * have to drop below capacity to reach cpu-load equilibrium.
-		 */
+	/*
+	 * If there aren't any idle cpus, avoid creating some.
+	 */
+	if (busiest->group_type == group_overloaded &&
+	    local->group_type   == group_overloaded) {
 		load_above_capacity =
 			(busiest->sum_nr_running - busiest->group_capacity_factor);