nish+0x31/0x60 but task is already holding lock: (slab_mutex){+.+.+.}, at: kmem_cache_destroy+0x22/0xe0 which lock already depends on the new lock. the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: -> #1 (slab_mutex){+.+.+.}: lock_acquire+0x1aa/0x240 __mutex_lock_common+0x59/0x5a0 mutex_lock_nested+0x3f/0x50 slab_attr_store+0xde/0x110 sysfs_write_file+0xfa/0x150 vfs_write+0xb0/0x180 sys_pwrite64+0x60/0xb0 tracesys+0xe1/0xe6 -> #0 (s_active#43){++++.+}: __lock_acquire+0x14df/0x1ca0 lock_acquire+0x1aa/0x240 sysfs_deactivate+0x122/0x1a0 sysfs_addrm_finish+0x31/0x60 sysfs_remove_dir+0x89/0xd0 kobject_del+0x16/0x40 __kmem_cache_shutdown+0x40/0x60 kmem_cache_destroy+0x40/0xe0 mon_text_release+0x78/0xe0 __fput+0x122/0x2d0 ____fput+0x9/0x10 task_work_run+0xbe/0x100 do_exit+0x432/0xbd0 do_group_exit+0x84/0xd0 get_signal_to_deliver+0x81d/0x930 do_signal+0x3a/0x950 do_notify_resume+0x3e/0x90 int_signal+0x12/0x17 other info that might help us debug this: Possible unsafe locking scenario: CPU0 CPU1 ---- ---- lock(slab_mutex); lock(s_active#43); lock(slab_mutex); lock(s_active#43); *** DEADLOCK *** 2 locks held by trinity-child13/6961: #0: (mon_lock){+.+.+.}, at: mon_text_release+0x25/0xe0 #1: (slab_mutex){+.+.+.}, at: kmem_cache_destroy+0x22/0xe0 stack backtrace: Pid: 6961, comm: trinity-child13 Tainted: G W 3.7.0-rc4-next-20121106-sasha-00008-g353b62f #117 Call Trace: print_circular_bug+0x1fb/0x20c __lock_acquire+0x14df/0x1ca0 lock_acquire+0x1aa/0x240 sysfs_deactivate+0x122/0x1a0 sysfs_addrm_finish+0x31/0x60 sysfs_remove_dir+0x89/0xd0 kobject_del+0x16/0x40 __kmem_cache_shutdown+0x40/0x60 kmem_cache_destroy+0x40/0xe0 mon_text_release+0x78/0xe0 __fput+0x122/0x2d0 ____fput+0x9/0x10 task_work_run+0xbe/0x100 do_exit+0x432/0xbd0 do_group_exit+0x84/0xd0 get_signal_to_deliver+0x81d/0x930 do_signal+0x3a/0x950 do_notify_resume+0x3e/0x90 int_signal+0x12/0x17 Signed-off-by: Glauber Costa Reported-by: Sasha Levin Cc: Michal Hocko Cc: Kamezawa Hiroyuki Cc: Johannes Weiner Cc: Christoph Lameter Cc: Pekka Enberg Acked-by: David Rientjes Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds