diff --git a/kernel/sys.c b/kernel/sys.c
index 775bf8d18d03..2969304c29fe 100644
--- a/kernel/sys.c
+++ b/kernel/sys.c
@@ -2127,9 +2127,15 @@ static int prctl_set_mm(int opt, unsigned long addr,
 
 	error = -EINVAL;
 
-	down_write(&mm->mmap_sem);
+	/*
+	 * arg_lock protects concurent updates of arg boundaries, we need
+	 * mmap_sem for a) concurrent sys_brk, b) finding VMA for addr
+	 * validation.
+	 */
+	down_read(&mm->mmap_sem);
 	vma = find_vma(mm, addr);
 
+	spin_lock(&mm->arg_lock);
 	prctl_map.start_code	= mm->start_code;
 	prctl_map.end_code	= mm->end_code;
 	prctl_map.start_data	= mm->start_data;
@@ -2217,7 +2223,8 @@ static int prctl_set_mm(int opt, unsigned long addr,
 
 	error = 0;
 out:
-	up_write(&mm->mmap_sem);
+	spin_unlock(&mm->arg_lock);
+	up_read(&mm->mmap_sem);
 	return error;
 }
 
diff --git a/mm/util.c b/mm/util.c
index 91682a2090ee..9834c4ab7d8e 100644
--- a/mm/util.c
+++ b/mm/util.c
@@ -718,12 +718,12 @@ int get_cmdline(struct task_struct *task, char *buffer, int buflen)
 	if (!mm->arg_end)
 		goto out_mm;	/* Shh! No looking before we're done */
 
-	down_read(&mm->mmap_sem);
+	spin_lock(&mm->arg_lock);
 	arg_start = mm->arg_start;
 	arg_end = mm->arg_end;
 	env_start = mm->env_start;
 	env_end = mm->env_end;
-	up_read(&mm->mmap_sem);
+	spin_unlock(&mm->arg_lock);
 
 	len = arg_end - arg_start;