diff --git a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
index a711ffe23893..11e406ad16ae 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
@@ -1118,13 +1118,6 @@ BPF_CALL_3(bpf_timer_init, struct bpf_timer_kern *, timer, struct bpf_map *, map
 		ret = -EBUSY;
 		goto out;
 	}
-	if (!atomic64_read(&map->usercnt)) {
-		/* maps with timers must be either held by user space
-		 * or pinned in bpffs.
-		 */
-		ret = -EPERM;
-		goto out;
-	}
 	/* allocate hrtimer via map_kmalloc to use memcg accounting */
 	t = bpf_map_kmalloc_node(map, sizeof(*t), GFP_ATOMIC, map->numa_node);
 	if (!t) {
@@ -1137,7 +1130,21 @@ BPF_CALL_3(bpf_timer_init, struct bpf_timer_kern *, timer, struct bpf_map *, map
 	rcu_assign_pointer(t->callback_fn, NULL);
 	hrtimer_init(&t->timer, clockid, HRTIMER_MODE_REL_SOFT);
 	t->timer.function = bpf_timer_cb;
-	timer->timer = t;
+	WRITE_ONCE(timer->timer, t);
+	/* Guarantee the order between timer->timer and map->usercnt. So
+	 * when there are concurrent uref release and bpf timer init, either
+	 * bpf_timer_cancel_and_free() called by uref release reads a no-NULL
+	 * timer or atomic64_read() below returns a zero usercnt.
+	 */
+	smp_mb();
+	if (!atomic64_read(&map->usercnt)) {
+		/* maps with timers must be either held by user space
+		 * or pinned in bpffs.
+		 */
+		WRITE_ONCE(timer->timer, NULL);
+		kfree(t);
+		ret = -EPERM;
+	}
 out:
 	__bpf_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&timer->lock);
 	return ret;
@@ -1305,7 +1312,7 @@ void bpf_timer_cancel_and_free(void *val)
 	/* The subsequent bpf_timer_start/cancel() helpers won't be able to use
 	 * this timer, since it won't be initialized.
 	 */
-	timer->timer = NULL;
+	WRITE_ONCE(timer->timer, NULL);
 out:
 	__bpf_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&timer->lock);
 	if (!t)