diff --git a/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c b/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
index 735af8f..1e12e69 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c
@@ -3055,8 +3055,6 @@ static int cgroup_apply_control_enable(struct cgroup *cgrp)
 		for_each_subsys(ss, ssid) {
 			struct cgroup_subsys_state *css = cgroup_css(dsct, ss);
 
-			WARN_ON_ONCE(css && percpu_ref_is_dying(&css->refcnt));
-
 			if (!(cgroup_ss_mask(dsct) & (1 << ss->id)))
 				continue;
 
@@ -3066,6 +3064,8 @@ static int cgroup_apply_control_enable(struct cgroup *cgrp)
 					return PTR_ERR(css);
 			}
 
+			WARN_ON_ONCE(percpu_ref_is_dying(&css->refcnt));
+
 			if (css_visible(css)) {
 				ret = css_populate_dir(css);
 				if (ret)
@@ -3101,11 +3101,11 @@ static void cgroup_apply_control_disable(struct cgroup *cgrp)
 		for_each_subsys(ss, ssid) {
 			struct cgroup_subsys_state *css = cgroup_css(dsct, ss);
 
-			WARN_ON_ONCE(css && percpu_ref_is_dying(&css->refcnt));
-
 			if (!css)
 				continue;
 
+			WARN_ON_ONCE(percpu_ref_is_dying(&css->refcnt));
+
 			if (css->parent &&
 			    !(cgroup_ss_mask(dsct) & (1 << ss->id))) {
 				kill_css(css);
@@ -3392,7 +3392,8 @@ static ssize_t cgroup_type_write(struct kernfs_open_file *of, char *buf,
 	if (strcmp(strstrip(buf), "threaded"))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	cgrp = cgroup_kn_lock_live(of->kn, false);
+	/* drain dying csses before we re-apply (threaded) subtree control */
+	cgrp = cgroup_kn_lock_live(of->kn, true);
 	if (!cgrp)
 		return -ENOENT;