diff --git a/kernel/sched/fair.c b/kernel/sched/fair.c
index 3c8529cab7c2..ffc2c71d0374 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/fair.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/fair.c
@@ -10540,7 +10540,6 @@ redo:
 		 * correctly treated as an imbalance.
 		 */
 		env.flags |= LBF_ALL_PINNED;
-		env.loop_max  = min(sysctl_sched_nr_migrate, busiest->nr_running);
 
 more_balance:
 		raw_spin_lock_irqsave(&busiest->lock, flags);
@@ -10553,6 +10552,12 @@ more_balance:
 			goto no_move;
 		}
 
+		/*
+		 * Set loop_max when rq's lock is taken to prevent a race.
+		 */
+		env.loop_max = min(sysctl_sched_nr_migrate,
+							busiest->nr_running);
+
 		/*
 		 * cur_ld_moved - load moved in current iteration
 		 * ld_moved     - cumulative load moved across iterations