diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace.c b/kernel/trace/trace.c
index 6722d86f2af5..aee11e3a394f 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace.c
@@ -2006,7 +2006,11 @@ int trace_find_tgid(int pid)
 
 static int trace_save_tgid(struct task_struct *tsk)
 {
-	if (unlikely(!tgid_map || !tsk->pid || tsk->pid > PID_MAX_DEFAULT))
+	/* treat recording of idle task as a success */
+	if (!tsk->pid)
+		return 1;
+
+	if (unlikely(!tgid_map || tsk->pid > PID_MAX_DEFAULT))
 		return 0;
 
 	tgid_map[tsk->pid] = tsk->tgid;