diff --git a/drivers/char/random.c b/drivers/char/random.c
index e19dd6f4393e..18f4f799f4c7 100644
--- a/drivers/char/random.c
+++ b/drivers/char/random.c
@@ -814,8 +814,8 @@ static void do_numa_crng_init(struct work_struct *work)
 		crng_initialize(crng);
 		pool[i] = crng;
 	}
-	mb();
-	if (cmpxchg(&crng_node_pool, NULL, pool)) {
+	/* pairs with READ_ONCE() in select_crng() */
+	if (cmpxchg_release(&crng_node_pool, NULL, pool) != NULL) {
 		for_each_node(i)
 			kfree(pool[i]);
 		kfree(pool);
@@ -828,8 +828,26 @@ static void numa_crng_init(void)
 {
 	schedule_work(&numa_crng_init_work);
 }
+
+static struct crng_state *select_crng(void)
+{
+	struct crng_state **pool;
+	int nid = numa_node_id();
+
+	/* pairs with cmpxchg_release() in do_numa_crng_init() */
+	pool = READ_ONCE(crng_node_pool);
+	if (pool && pool[nid])
+		return pool[nid];
+
+	return &primary_crng;
+}
 #else
 static void numa_crng_init(void) {}
+
+static struct crng_state *select_crng(void)
+{
+	return &primary_crng;
+}
 #endif
 
 /*