diff --git a/include/linux/workqueue.h b/include/linux/workqueue.h
index 8e880f7f67b2..b95c511139b9 100644
--- a/include/linux/workqueue.h
+++ b/include/linux/workqueue.h
@@ -359,6 +359,8 @@ extern struct workqueue_struct *system_freezable_wq;
 extern struct workqueue_struct *system_power_efficient_wq;
 extern struct workqueue_struct *system_freezable_power_efficient_wq;
 
+extern bool wq_online;
+
 extern struct workqueue_struct *
 __alloc_workqueue_key(const char *fmt, unsigned int flags, int max_active,
 	struct lock_class_key *key, const char *lock_name, ...) __printf(1, 6);
@@ -598,7 +600,7 @@ static inline bool schedule_delayed_work(struct delayed_work *dwork,
  */
 static inline bool keventd_up(void)
 {
-	return system_wq != NULL;
+	return wq_online;
 }
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_SMP
@@ -635,4 +637,7 @@ int workqueue_online_cpu(unsigned int cpu);
 int workqueue_offline_cpu(unsigned int cpu);
 #endif
 
+int __init workqueue_init_early(void);
+int __init workqueue_init(void);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 86789c52f51a..238f5c822adf 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -554,6 +554,14 @@ asmlinkage __visible void __init start_kernel(void)
 		 "Interrupts were enabled *very* early, fixing it\n"))
 		local_irq_disable();
 	idr_init_cache();
+
+	/*
+	 * Allow workqueue creation and work item queueing/cancelling
+	 * early.  Work item execution depends on kthreads and starts after
+	 * workqueue_init().
+	 */
+	workqueue_init_early();
+
 	rcu_init();
 
 	/* trace_printk() and trace points may be used after this */
@@ -1026,6 +1034,8 @@ static noinline void __init kernel_init_freeable(void)
 
 	smp_prepare_cpus(setup_max_cpus);
 
+	workqueue_init();
+
 	do_pre_smp_initcalls();
 	lockup_detector_init();
 
diff --git a/kernel/workqueue.c b/kernel/workqueue.c
index b3476a21a7b3..df96f797939e 100644
--- a/kernel/workqueue.c
+++ b/kernel/workqueue.c
@@ -292,6 +292,8 @@ module_param_named(disable_numa, wq_disable_numa, bool, 0444);
 static bool wq_power_efficient = IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_WQ_POWER_EFFICIENT_DEFAULT);
 module_param_named(power_efficient, wq_power_efficient, bool, 0444);
 
+bool wq_online;				/* can kworkers be created yet? */
+
 static bool wq_numa_enabled;		/* unbound NUMA affinity enabled */
 
 /* buf for wq_update_unbound_numa_attrs(), protected by CPU hotplug exclusion */
@@ -2588,6 +2590,9 @@ void flush_workqueue(struct workqueue_struct *wq)
 	};
 	int next_color;
 
+	if (WARN_ON(!wq_online))
+		return;
+
 	lock_map_acquire(&wq->lockdep_map);
 	lock_map_release(&wq->lockdep_map);
 
@@ -2848,6 +2853,9 @@ bool flush_work(struct work_struct *work)
 {
 	struct wq_barrier barr;
 
+	if (WARN_ON(!wq_online))
+		return false;
+
 	lock_map_acquire(&work->lockdep_map);
 	lock_map_release(&work->lockdep_map);
 
@@ -2918,7 +2926,13 @@ static bool __cancel_work_timer(struct work_struct *work, bool is_dwork)
 	mark_work_canceling(work);
 	local_irq_restore(flags);
 
-	flush_work(work);
+	/*
+	 * This allows canceling during early boot.  We know that @work
+	 * isn't executing.
+	 */
+	if (wq_online)
+		flush_work(work);
+
 	clear_work_data(work);
 
 	/*
@@ -3368,7 +3382,7 @@ static struct worker_pool *get_unbound_pool(const struct workqueue_attrs *attrs)
 		goto fail;
 
 	/* create and start the initial worker */
-	if (!create_worker(pool))
+	if (wq_online && !create_worker(pool))
 		goto fail;
 
 	/* install */
@@ -3439,6 +3453,7 @@ static void pwq_adjust_max_active(struct pool_workqueue *pwq)
 {
 	struct workqueue_struct *wq = pwq->wq;
 	bool freezable = wq->flags & WQ_FREEZABLE;
+	unsigned long flags;
 
 	/* for @wq->saved_max_active */
 	lockdep_assert_held(&wq->mutex);
@@ -3447,7 +3462,8 @@ static void pwq_adjust_max_active(struct pool_workqueue *pwq)
 	if (!freezable && pwq->max_active == wq->saved_max_active)
 		return;
 
-	spin_lock_irq(&pwq->pool->lock);
+	/* this function can be called during early boot w/ irq disabled */
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&pwq->pool->lock, flags);
 
 	/*
 	 * During [un]freezing, the caller is responsible for ensuring that
@@ -3477,7 +3493,7 @@ static void pwq_adjust_max_active(struct pool_workqueue *pwq)
 		pwq->max_active = 0;
 	}
 
-	spin_unlock_irq(&pwq->pool->lock);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&pwq->pool->lock, flags);
 }
 
 /* initialize newly alloced @pwq which is associated with @wq and @pool */
@@ -5550,7 +5566,17 @@ static void __init wq_numa_init(void)
 	wq_numa_enabled = true;
 }
 
-static int __init init_workqueues(void)
+/**
+ * workqueue_init_early - early init for workqueue subsystem
+ *
+ * This is the first half of two-staged workqueue subsystem initialization
+ * and invoked as soon as the bare basics - memory allocation, cpumasks and
+ * idr are up.  It sets up all the data structures and system workqueues
+ * and allows early boot code to create workqueues and queue/cancel work
+ * items.  Actual work item execution starts only after kthreads can be
+ * created and scheduled right before early initcalls.
+ */
+int __init workqueue_init_early(void)
 {
 	int std_nice[NR_STD_WORKER_POOLS] = { 0, HIGHPRI_NICE_LEVEL };
 	int i, cpu;
@@ -5583,16 +5609,6 @@ static int __init init_workqueues(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* create the initial worker */
-	for_each_online_cpu(cpu) {
-		struct worker_pool *pool;
-
-		for_each_cpu_worker_pool(pool, cpu) {
-			pool->flags &= ~POOL_DISASSOCIATED;
-			BUG_ON(!create_worker(pool));
-		}
-	}
-
 	/* create default unbound and ordered wq attrs */
 	for (i = 0; i < NR_STD_WORKER_POOLS; i++) {
 		struct workqueue_attrs *attrs;
@@ -5629,8 +5645,36 @@ static int __init init_workqueues(void)
 	       !system_power_efficient_wq ||
 	       !system_freezable_power_efficient_wq);
 
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * workqueue_init - bring workqueue subsystem fully online
+ *
+ * This is the latter half of two-staged workqueue subsystem initialization
+ * and invoked as soon as kthreads can be created and scheduled.
+ * Workqueues have been created and work items queued on them, but there
+ * are no kworkers executing the work items yet.  Populate the worker pools
+ * with the initial workers and enable future kworker creations.
+ */
+int __init workqueue_init(void)
+{
+	struct worker_pool *pool;
+	int cpu, bkt;
+
+	/* create the initial workers */
+	for_each_online_cpu(cpu) {
+		for_each_cpu_worker_pool(pool, cpu) {
+			pool->flags &= ~POOL_DISASSOCIATED;
+			BUG_ON(!create_worker(pool));
+		}
+	}
+
+	hash_for_each(unbound_pool_hash, bkt, pool, hash_node)
+		BUG_ON(!create_worker(pool));
+
+	wq_online = true;
 	wq_watchdog_init();
 
 	return 0;
 }
-early_initcall(init_workqueues);