diff --git a/mm/kmemleak.c b/mm/kmemleak.c
index c17dbc76fb72..b18d9ca578b9 100644
--- a/mm/kmemleak.c
+++ b/mm/kmemleak.c
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ struct kmemleak_scan_area {
 	size_t length;
 };
 
+#define KMEMLEAK_GREY	0
+#define KMEMLEAK_BLACK	-1
+
 /*
  * Structure holding the metadata for each allocated memory block.
  * Modifications to such objects should be made while holding the
@@ -310,17 +313,19 @@ static void hex_dump_object(struct seq_file *seq,
  */
 static bool color_white(const struct kmemleak_object *object)
 {
-	return object->count != -1 && object->count < object->min_count;
+	return object->count != KMEMLEAK_BLACK &&
+		object->count < object->min_count;
 }
 
 static bool color_gray(const struct kmemleak_object *object)
 {
-	return object->min_count != -1 && object->count >= object->min_count;
+	return object->min_count != KMEMLEAK_BLACK &&
+		object->count >= object->min_count;
 }
 
 static bool color_black(const struct kmemleak_object *object)
 {
-	return object->min_count == -1;
+	return object->min_count == KMEMLEAK_BLACK;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -661,25 +666,46 @@ static void delete_object_part(unsigned long ptr, size_t size)
 
 	put_object(object);
 }
+
+static void __paint_it(struct kmemleak_object *object, int color)
+{
+	object->min_count = color;
+	if (color == KMEMLEAK_BLACK)
+		object->flags |= OBJECT_NO_SCAN;
+}
+
+static void paint_it(struct kmemleak_object *object, int color)
+{
+	unsigned long flags;
+
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&object->lock, flags);
+	__paint_it(object, color);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&object->lock, flags);
+}
+
+static void paint_ptr(unsigned long ptr, int color)
+{
+	struct kmemleak_object *object;
+
+	object = find_and_get_object(ptr, 0);
+	if (!object) {
+		kmemleak_warn("Trying to color unknown object "
+			      "at 0x%08lx as %s\n", ptr,
+			      (color == KMEMLEAK_GREY) ? "Grey" :
+			      (color == KMEMLEAK_BLACK) ? "Black" : "Unknown");
+		return;
+	}
+	paint_it(object, color);
+	put_object(object);
+}
+
 /*
  * Make a object permanently as gray-colored so that it can no longer be
  * reported as a leak. This is used in general to mark a false positive.
  */
 static void make_gray_object(unsigned long ptr)
 {
-	unsigned long flags;
-	struct kmemleak_object *object;
-
-	object = find_and_get_object(ptr, 0);
-	if (!object) {
-		kmemleak_warn("Graying unknown object at 0x%08lx\n", ptr);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&object->lock, flags);
-	object->min_count = 0;
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&object->lock, flags);
-	put_object(object);
+	paint_ptr(ptr, KMEMLEAK_GREY);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -688,20 +714,7 @@ static void make_gray_object(unsigned long ptr)
  */
 static void make_black_object(unsigned long ptr)
 {
-	unsigned long flags;
-	struct kmemleak_object *object;
-
-	object = find_and_get_object(ptr, 0);
-	if (!object) {
-		kmemleak_warn("Blacking unknown object at 0x%08lx\n", ptr);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&object->lock, flags);
-	object->min_count = -1;
-	object->flags |= OBJECT_NO_SCAN;
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&object->lock, flags);
-	put_object(object);
+	paint_ptr(ptr, KMEMLEAK_BLACK);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1436,7 +1449,7 @@ static void kmemleak_clear(void)
 		spin_lock_irqsave(&object->lock, flags);
 		if ((object->flags & OBJECT_REPORTED) &&
 		    unreferenced_object(object))
-			object->min_count = 0;
+			__paint_it(object, KMEMLEAK_GREY);
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&object->lock, flags);
 	}
 	rcu_read_unlock();