--- a/mm/sparse.c~mm-sparse-never-partially-remove-memmap-for-early-section +++ a/mm/sparse.c @@ -824,10 +824,14 @@ static void section_deactivate(unsigned ms->section_mem_map &= ~SECTION_HAS_MEM_MAP; } - if (section_is_early && memmap) - free_map_bootmem(memmap); - else + /* + * The memmap of early sections is always fully populated. See + * section_activate() and pfn_valid() . + */ + if (!section_is_early) depopulate_section_memmap(pfn, nr_pages, altmap); + else if (memmap) + free_map_bootmem(memmap); if (empty) ms->section_mem_map = (unsigned long)NULL;