diff --git a/include/linux/mm.h b/include/linux/mm.h
index 15f81b2b87ed..8e4eaaaa3b9f 100644
--- a/include/linux/mm.h
+++ b/include/linux/mm.h
@@ -488,6 +488,10 @@ static inline void get_huge_page_tail(struct page *page)
 
 extern bool __get_page_tail(struct page *page);
 
+/* 127: arbitrary random number, small enough to assemble well */
+#define page_ref_zero_or_close_to_overflow(page) \
+	((unsigned int) atomic_read(&page->_count) + 127u <= 127u)
+
 static inline void get_page(struct page *page)
 {
 	if (unlikely(PageTail(page)))
@@ -497,7 +501,7 @@ static inline void get_page(struct page *page)
 	 * Getting a normal page or the head of a compound page
 	 * requires to already have an elevated page->_count.
 	 */
-	VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(atomic_read(&page->_count) <= 0, page);
+	VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(page_ref_zero_or_close_to_overflow(page), page);
 	atomic_inc(&page->_count);
 }
 
diff --git a/mm/internal.h b/mm/internal.h
index f63f4393d633..67015e58eb1b 100644
--- a/mm/internal.h
+++ b/mm/internal.h
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ static inline void __get_page_tail_foll(struct page *page,
 	 * speculative page access (like in
 	 * page_cache_get_speculative()) on tail pages.
 	 */
-	VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(atomic_read(&compound_head(page)->_count) <= 0, page);
+	VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(page_ref_zero_or_close_to_overflow(compound_head(page)),
+		       page);
 	if (get_page_head)
 		atomic_inc(&compound_head(page)->_count);
 	get_huge_page_tail(page);
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ static inline void get_page_foll(struct page *page)
 		 * Getting a normal page or the head of a compound page
 		 * requires to already have an elevated page->_count.
 		 */
-		VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(atomic_read(&page->_count) <= 0, page);
+		VM_BUG_ON_PAGE(page_ref_zero_or_close_to_overflow(page), page);
 		atomic_inc(&page->_count);
 	}
 }