--- a/mm/sparse.c~mm-sparse-reset-sections-mem_map-when-fully-deactivated +++ a/mm/sparse.c @@ -789,7 +789,7 @@ static void section_deactivate(unsigned ms->usage = NULL; } memmap = sparse_decode_mem_map(ms->section_mem_map, section_nr); - ms->section_mem_map = sparse_encode_mem_map(NULL, section_nr); + ms->section_mem_map = (unsigned long)NULL; } if (section_is_early && memmap)