diff --git a/mm/compaction.c b/mm/compaction.c
index cf7086c6dc07fd9de0707b3796102536a09b5e61..9b94eaf537e4395af2965c2009db17c702849db0 100644
--- a/mm/compaction.c
+++ b/mm/compaction.c
@@ -144,9 +144,20 @@ static void isolate_freepages(struct zone *zone,
 	int nr_freepages = cc->nr_freepages;
 	struct list_head *freelist = &cc->freepages;
 
+	/*
+	 * Initialise the free scanner. The starting point is where we last
+	 * scanned from (or the end of the zone if starting). The low point
+	 * is the end of the pageblock the migration scanner is using.
+	 */
 	pfn = cc->free_pfn;
 	low_pfn = cc->migrate_pfn + pageblock_nr_pages;
-	high_pfn = low_pfn;
+
+	/*
+	 * Take care that if the migration scanner is at the end of the zone
+	 * that the free scanner does not accidentally move to the next zone
+	 * in the next isolation cycle.
+	 */
+	high_pfn = min(low_pfn, pfn);
 
 	/*
 	 * Isolate free pages until enough are available to migrate the