diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp.c b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
index b604c7664350..5b4e170b6a34 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp.c
@@ -4331,12 +4331,16 @@ static void __tcp_alloc_md5sig_pool(void)
 	 * to memory. See smp_rmb() in tcp_get_md5sig_pool()
 	 */
 	smp_wmb();
-	tcp_md5sig_pool_populated = true;
+	/* Paired with READ_ONCE() from tcp_alloc_md5sig_pool()
+	 * and tcp_get_md5sig_pool().
+	*/
+	WRITE_ONCE(tcp_md5sig_pool_populated, true);
 }
 
 bool tcp_alloc_md5sig_pool(void)
 {
-	if (unlikely(!tcp_md5sig_pool_populated)) {
+	/* Paired with WRITE_ONCE() from __tcp_alloc_md5sig_pool() */
+	if (unlikely(!READ_ONCE(tcp_md5sig_pool_populated))) {
 		mutex_lock(&tcp_md5sig_mutex);
 
 		if (!tcp_md5sig_pool_populated) {
@@ -4347,7 +4351,8 @@ bool tcp_alloc_md5sig_pool(void)
 
 		mutex_unlock(&tcp_md5sig_mutex);
 	}
-	return tcp_md5sig_pool_populated;
+	/* Paired with WRITE_ONCE() from __tcp_alloc_md5sig_pool() */
+	return READ_ONCE(tcp_md5sig_pool_populated);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(tcp_alloc_md5sig_pool);
 
@@ -4363,7 +4368,8 @@ struct tcp_md5sig_pool *tcp_get_md5sig_pool(void)
 {
 	local_bh_disable();
 
-	if (tcp_md5sig_pool_populated) {
+	/* Paired with WRITE_ONCE() from __tcp_alloc_md5sig_pool() */
+	if (READ_ONCE(tcp_md5sig_pool_populated)) {
 		/* coupled with smp_wmb() in __tcp_alloc_md5sig_pool() */
 		smp_rmb();
 		return this_cpu_ptr(&tcp_md5sig_pool);