diff --git a/kernel/rcu/update.c b/kernel/rcu/update.c
index 5783bdf86e5a..4c7c49c106ee 100644
--- a/kernel/rcu/update.c
+++ b/kernel/rcu/update.c
@@ -668,6 +668,7 @@ static int __noreturn rcu_tasks_kthread(void *arg)
 	struct rcu_head *list;
 	struct rcu_head *next;
 	LIST_HEAD(rcu_tasks_holdouts);
+	int fract;
 
 	/* Run on housekeeping CPUs by default.  Sysadm can move if desired. */
 	housekeeping_affine(current, HK_FLAG_RCU);
@@ -749,13 +750,25 @@ static int __noreturn rcu_tasks_kthread(void *arg)
 		 * holdouts.  When the list is empty, we are done.
 		 */
 		lastreport = jiffies;
-		while (!list_empty(&rcu_tasks_holdouts)) {
+
+		/* Start off with HZ/10 wait and slowly back off to 1 HZ wait*/
+		fract = 10;
+
+		for (;;) {
 			bool firstreport;
 			bool needreport;
 			int rtst;
 			struct task_struct *t1;
 
-			schedule_timeout_interruptible(HZ);
+			if (list_empty(&rcu_tasks_holdouts))
+				break;
+
+			/* Slowly back off waiting for holdouts */
+			schedule_timeout_interruptible(HZ/fract);
+
+			if (fract > 1)
+				fract--;
+
 			rtst = READ_ONCE(rcu_task_stall_timeout);
 			needreport = rtst > 0 &&
 				     time_after(jiffies, lastreport + rtst);