diff --git a/kernel/time/timer.c b/kernel/time/timer.c
index 717fcb9fb14aa8306234b57aa4e45c466a3a720c..f40c88c156fe864fb741afe4959736e23ab9eb3b 100644
--- a/kernel/time/timer.c
+++ b/kernel/time/timer.c
@@ -1422,7 +1422,7 @@ int del_timer_sync(struct timer_list *timer)
 	 * don't use it in hardirq context, because it
 	 * could lead to deadlock.
 	 */
-	WARN_ON(in_irq() && !(timer->flags & TIMER_IRQSAFE));
+	WARN_ON(in_hardirq() && !(timer->flags & TIMER_IRQSAFE));
 
 	/*
 	 * Must be able to sleep on PREEMPT_RT because of the slowpath in