diff --git a/mm/vmalloc.c b/mm/vmalloc.c
index 67a10a04df04..cab30d9497e6 100644
--- a/mm/vmalloc.c
+++ b/mm/vmalloc.c
@@ -2923,6 +2923,8 @@ vm_area_alloc_pages(gfp_t gfp, int nid,
 		unsigned int order, unsigned int nr_pages, struct page **pages)
 {
 	unsigned int nr_allocated = 0;
+	gfp_t alloc_gfp = gfp;
+	bool nofail = false;
 	struct page *page;
 	int i;
 
@@ -2933,6 +2935,7 @@ vm_area_alloc_pages(gfp_t gfp, int nid,
 	 * more permissive.
 	 */
 	if (!order) {
+		/* bulk allocator doesn't support nofail req. officially */
 		gfp_t bulk_gfp = gfp & ~__GFP_NOFAIL;
 
 		while (nr_allocated < nr_pages) {
@@ -2971,20 +2974,35 @@ vm_area_alloc_pages(gfp_t gfp, int nid,
 			if (nr != nr_pages_request)
 				break;
 		}
+	} else if (gfp & __GFP_NOFAIL) {
+		/*
+		 * Higher order nofail allocations are really expensive and
+		 * potentially dangerous (pre-mature OOM, disruptive reclaim
+		 * and compaction etc.
+		 */
+		alloc_gfp &= ~__GFP_NOFAIL;
+		nofail = true;
 	}
 
 	/* High-order pages or fallback path if "bulk" fails. */
-
 	while (nr_allocated < nr_pages) {
 		if (fatal_signal_pending(current))
 			break;
 
 		if (nid == NUMA_NO_NODE)
-			page = alloc_pages(gfp, order);
+			page = alloc_pages(alloc_gfp, order);
 		else
-			page = alloc_pages_node(nid, gfp, order);
-		if (unlikely(!page))
-			break;
+			page = alloc_pages_node(nid, alloc_gfp, order);
+		if (unlikely(!page)) {
+			if (!nofail)
+				break;
+
+			/* fall back to the zero order allocations */
+			alloc_gfp |= __GFP_NOFAIL;
+			order = 0;
+			continue;
+		}
+
 		/*
 		 * Higher order allocations must be able to be treated as
 		 * indepdenent small pages by callers (as they can with