diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index dfec3809e7404f9658d51a20aae3869cd7aab9c3..e96e3a14533cda199963fe96b97dc78779c66037 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -588,6 +588,12 @@ asmlinkage __visible void __init start_kernel(void)
 		local_irq_disable();
 	radix_tree_init();
 
+	/*
+	 * Set up housekeeping before setting up workqueues to allow the unbound
+	 * workqueue to take non-housekeeping into account.
+	 */
+	housekeeping_init();
+
 	/*
 	 * Allow workqueue creation and work item queueing/cancelling
 	 * early.  Work item execution depends on kthreads and starts after
@@ -605,7 +611,6 @@ asmlinkage __visible void __init start_kernel(void)
 	early_irq_init();
 	init_IRQ();
 	tick_init();
-	housekeeping_init();
 	rcu_init_nohz();
 	init_timers();
 	hrtimers_init();