diff --git a/mm/mmap.c b/mm/mmap.c
index ed70a68e882af069988cfcbe5c54a9a0af88d9fa..02c09f33df8bd6b16bade4e123f84d0aa206f2db 100644
--- a/mm/mmap.c
+++ b/mm/mmap.c
@@ -1811,10 +1811,10 @@ detach_vmas_to_be_unmapped(struct mm_struct *mm, struct vm_area_struct *vma,
 }
 
 /*
- * Split a vma into two pieces at address 'addr', a new vma is allocated
- * either for the first part or the tail.
+ * __split_vma() bypasses sysctl_max_map_count checking.  We use this on the
+ * munmap path where it doesn't make sense to fail.
  */
-int split_vma(struct mm_struct * mm, struct vm_area_struct * vma,
+static int __split_vma(struct mm_struct * mm, struct vm_area_struct * vma,
 	      unsigned long addr, int new_below)
 {
 	struct mempolicy *pol;
@@ -1824,9 +1824,6 @@ int split_vma(struct mm_struct * mm, struct vm_area_struct * vma,
 					~(huge_page_mask(hstate_vma(vma)))))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	if (mm->map_count >= sysctl_max_map_count)
-		return -ENOMEM;
-
 	new = kmem_cache_alloc(vm_area_cachep, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (!new)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -1866,6 +1863,19 @@ int split_vma(struct mm_struct * mm, struct vm_area_struct * vma,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Split a vma into two pieces at address 'addr', a new vma is allocated
+ * either for the first part or the tail.
+ */
+int split_vma(struct mm_struct *mm, struct vm_area_struct *vma,
+	      unsigned long addr, int new_below)
+{
+	if (mm->map_count >= sysctl_max_map_count)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	return __split_vma(mm, vma, addr, new_below);
+}
+
 /* Munmap is split into 2 main parts -- this part which finds
  * what needs doing, and the areas themselves, which do the
  * work.  This now handles partial unmappings.
@@ -1901,7 +1911,17 @@ int do_munmap(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long start, size_t len)
 	 * places tmp vma above, and higher split_vma places tmp vma below.
 	 */
 	if (start > vma->vm_start) {
-		int error = split_vma(mm, vma, start, 0);
+		int error;
+
+		/*
+		 * Make sure that map_count on return from munmap() will
+		 * not exceed its limit; but let map_count go just above
+		 * its limit temporarily, to help free resources as expected.
+		 */
+		if (end < vma->vm_end && mm->map_count >= sysctl_max_map_count)
+			return -ENOMEM;
+
+		error = __split_vma(mm, vma, start, 0);
 		if (error)
 			return error;
 		prev = vma;
@@ -1910,7 +1930,7 @@ int do_munmap(struct mm_struct *mm, unsigned long start, size_t len)
 	/* Does it split the last one? */
 	last = find_vma(mm, end);
 	if (last && end > last->vm_start) {
-		int error = split_vma(mm, last, end, 1);
+		int error = __split_vma(mm, last, end, 1);
 		if (error)
 			return error;
 	}