diff --git a/fs/splice.c b/fs/splice.c
index 29e92b506394..c78e0e3ff6c4 100644
--- a/fs/splice.c
+++ b/fs/splice.c
@@ -333,8 +333,8 @@ const struct pipe_buf_operations default_pipe_buf_ops = {
 	.get = generic_pipe_buf_get,
 };
 
-static int generic_pipe_buf_nosteal(struct pipe_inode_info *pipe,
-				    struct pipe_buffer *buf)
+int generic_pipe_buf_nosteal(struct pipe_inode_info *pipe,
+			     struct pipe_buffer *buf)
 {
 	return 1;
 }
diff --git a/include/linux/pipe_fs_i.h b/include/linux/pipe_fs_i.h
index 3ecd7ea212ae..66ee63cd5968 100644
--- a/include/linux/pipe_fs_i.h
+++ b/include/linux/pipe_fs_i.h
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ void free_pipe_info(struct pipe_inode_info *);
 void generic_pipe_buf_get(struct pipe_inode_info *, struct pipe_buffer *);
 int generic_pipe_buf_confirm(struct pipe_inode_info *, struct pipe_buffer *);
 int generic_pipe_buf_steal(struct pipe_inode_info *, struct pipe_buffer *);
+int generic_pipe_buf_nosteal(struct pipe_inode_info *, struct pipe_buffer *);
 void generic_pipe_buf_release(struct pipe_inode_info *, struct pipe_buffer *);
 void pipe_buf_mark_unmergeable(struct pipe_buffer *buf);
 
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace.c b/kernel/trace/trace.c
index a0501c61630f..5455ee05bc3b 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace.c
@@ -6803,19 +6803,23 @@ struct buffer_ref {
 	struct ring_buffer	*buffer;
 	void			*page;
 	int			cpu;
-	int			ref;
+	refcount_t		refcount;
 };
 
+static void buffer_ref_release(struct buffer_ref *ref)
+{
+	if (!refcount_dec_and_test(&ref->refcount))
+		return;
+	ring_buffer_free_read_page(ref->buffer, ref->cpu, ref->page);
+	kfree(ref);
+}
+
 static void buffer_pipe_buf_release(struct pipe_inode_info *pipe,
 				    struct pipe_buffer *buf)
 {
 	struct buffer_ref *ref = (struct buffer_ref *)buf->private;
 
-	if (--ref->ref)
-		return;
-
-	ring_buffer_free_read_page(ref->buffer, ref->cpu, ref->page);
-	kfree(ref);
+	buffer_ref_release(ref);
 	buf->private = 0;
 }
 
@@ -6824,7 +6828,7 @@ static void buffer_pipe_buf_get(struct pipe_inode_info *pipe,
 {
 	struct buffer_ref *ref = (struct buffer_ref *)buf->private;
 
-	ref->ref++;
+	refcount_inc(&ref->refcount);
 }
 
 /* Pipe buffer operations for a buffer. */
@@ -6832,7 +6836,7 @@ static const struct pipe_buf_operations buffer_pipe_buf_ops = {
 	.can_merge		= 0,
 	.confirm		= generic_pipe_buf_confirm,
 	.release		= buffer_pipe_buf_release,
-	.steal			= generic_pipe_buf_steal,
+	.steal			= generic_pipe_buf_nosteal,
 	.get			= buffer_pipe_buf_get,
 };
 
@@ -6845,11 +6849,7 @@ static void buffer_spd_release(struct splice_pipe_desc *spd, unsigned int i)
 	struct buffer_ref *ref =
 		(struct buffer_ref *)spd->partial[i].private;
 
-	if (--ref->ref)
-		return;
-
-	ring_buffer_free_read_page(ref->buffer, ref->cpu, ref->page);
-	kfree(ref);
+	buffer_ref_release(ref);
 	spd->partial[i].private = 0;
 }
 
@@ -6904,7 +6904,7 @@ tracing_buffers_splice_read(struct file *file, loff_t *ppos,
 			break;
 		}
 
-		ref->ref = 1;
+		refcount_set(&ref->refcount, 1);
 		ref->buffer = iter->trace_buffer->buffer;
 		ref->page = ring_buffer_alloc_read_page(ref->buffer, iter->cpu_file);
 		if (IS_ERR(ref->page)) {