diff --git a/kernel/events/core.c b/kernel/events/core.c
index fa0b2d4ad83c..e80611f1f8a3 100644
--- a/kernel/events/core.c
+++ b/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -5406,6 +5406,9 @@ struct swevent_htable {
 
 	/* Recursion avoidance in each contexts */
 	int				recursion[PERF_NR_CONTEXTS];
+
+	/* Keeps track of cpu being initialized/exited */
+	bool				online;
 };
 
 static DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct swevent_htable, swevent_htable);
@@ -5652,8 +5655,14 @@ static int perf_swevent_add(struct perf_event *event, int flags)
 	hwc->state = !(flags & PERF_EF_START);
 
 	head = find_swevent_head(swhash, event);
-	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!head))
+	if (!head) {
+		/*
+		 * We can race with cpu hotplug code. Do not
+		 * WARN if the cpu just got unplugged.
+		 */
+		WARN_ON_ONCE(swhash->online);
 		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 
 	hlist_add_head_rcu(&event->hlist_entry, head);
 
@@ -7833,6 +7842,7 @@ static void perf_event_init_cpu(int cpu)
 	struct swevent_htable *swhash = &per_cpu(swevent_htable, cpu);
 
 	mutex_lock(&swhash->hlist_mutex);
+	swhash->online = true;
 	if (swhash->hlist_refcount > 0) {
 		struct swevent_hlist *hlist;
 
@@ -7890,6 +7900,7 @@ static void perf_event_exit_cpu(int cpu)
 	perf_event_exit_cpu_context(cpu);
 
 	mutex_lock(&swhash->hlist_mutex);
+	swhash->online = false;
 	swevent_hlist_release(swhash);
 	mutex_unlock(&swhash->hlist_mutex);
 }