diff --git a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
index 6a61a98d602c..83f8f67e933d 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
@@ -1091,6 +1091,7 @@ struct bpf_hrtimer {
 	struct bpf_prog *prog;
 	void __rcu *callback_fn;
 	void *value;
+	struct rcu_head rcu;
 };
 
 /* the actual struct hidden inside uapi struct bpf_timer */
@@ -1312,6 +1313,7 @@ BPF_CALL_1(bpf_timer_cancel, struct bpf_timer_kern *, timer)
 
 	if (in_nmi())
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	rcu_read_lock();
 	__bpf_spin_lock_irqsave(&timer->lock);
 	t = timer->timer;
 	if (!t) {
@@ -1333,6 +1335,7 @@ out:
 	 * if it was running.
 	 */
 	ret = ret ?: hrtimer_cancel(&t->timer);
+	rcu_read_unlock();
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -1387,7 +1390,7 @@ out:
 	 */
 	if (this_cpu_read(hrtimer_running) != t)
 		hrtimer_cancel(&t->timer);
-	kfree(t);
+	kfree_rcu(t, rcu);
 }
 
 BPF_CALL_2(bpf_kptr_xchg, void *, map_value, void *, ptr)