diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/fpu/core.c b/arch/x86/kernel/fpu/core.c
index 9bc573a5c9dbb4eca228cb4604466bd97592e873..e898e83afa0ac04717d1bca82d8bfb2e3af0851f 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/fpu/core.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/fpu/core.c
@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@
  */
 #include <asm/fpu-internal.h>
 
+/*
+ * Track whether the kernel is using the FPU state
+ * currently.
+ *
+ * This flag is used:
+ *
+ *   - by IRQ context code to potentially use the FPU
+ *     if it's unused.
+ *
+ *   - to debug kernel_fpu_begin()/end() correctness
+ */
 static DEFINE_PER_CPU(bool, in_kernel_fpu);
 
 static void kernel_fpu_disable(void)
@@ -21,6 +32,11 @@ static void kernel_fpu_enable(void)
 	this_cpu_write(in_kernel_fpu, false);
 }
 
+static bool kernel_fpu_disabled(void)
+{
+	return this_cpu_read(in_kernel_fpu);
+}
+
 /*
  * Were we in an interrupt that interrupted kernel mode?
  *
@@ -35,7 +51,7 @@ static void kernel_fpu_enable(void)
  */
 static bool interrupted_kernel_fpu_idle(void)
 {
-	if (this_cpu_read(in_kernel_fpu))
+	if (kernel_fpu_disabled())
 		return false;
 
 	if (use_eager_fpu())