diff --git a/kernel/sched/core.c b/kernel/sched/core.c
index 820f7453fda93534ef0e4980d63997c27a473915..c2bbdecaa27dae171df8bb00049510871ebdd9e6 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/core.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/core.c
@@ -3779,6 +3779,24 @@ void rt_mutex_setprio(struct task_struct *p, int prio)
 
 	rq = __task_rq_lock(p);
 
+	/*
+	 * Idle task boosting is a nono in general. There is one
+	 * exception, when PREEMPT_RT and NOHZ is active:
+	 *
+	 * The idle task calls get_next_timer_interrupt() and holds
+	 * the timer wheel base->lock on the CPU and another CPU wants
+	 * to access the timer (probably to cancel it). We can safely
+	 * ignore the boosting request, as the idle CPU runs this code
+	 * with interrupts disabled and will complete the lock
+	 * protected section without being interrupted. So there is no
+	 * real need to boost.
+	 */
+	if (unlikely(p == rq->idle)) {
+		WARN_ON(p != rq->curr);
+		WARN_ON(p->pi_blocked_on);
+		goto out_unlock;
+	}
+
 	trace_sched_pi_setprio(p, prio);
 	oldprio = p->prio;
 	prev_class = p->sched_class;
@@ -3802,11 +3820,10 @@ void rt_mutex_setprio(struct task_struct *p, int prio)
 		enqueue_task(rq, p, oldprio < prio ? ENQUEUE_HEAD : 0);
 
 	check_class_changed(rq, p, prev_class, oldprio);
+out_unlock:
 	__task_rq_unlock(rq);
 }
-
 #endif
-
 void set_user_nice(struct task_struct *p, long nice)
 {
 	int old_prio, delta, on_rq;