[PATCH] mm: make mmap_miss accounting symmetric for VM_SEQ_READ

From: Usama Arif

Date: Mon May 25 2026 - 11:00:25 EST


do_sync_mmap_readahead() skips both the mmap_miss increment and the
MMAP_LOTSAMISS check for VM_SEQ_READ mappings, since sequential access
is non-speculative and should always read ahead. The two decrement
sites in do_async_mmap_readahead() and filemap_map_pages() do not
mirror this skip, so concurrent faults on a VM_SEQ_READ mapping can
still drive ra->mmap_miss down to zero through the decrement paths
even though nothing in the sync path ever increments it. The counter
itself is per-file (file->f_ra.mmap_miss), so it can be moved by any
VMA mapping the file, not just the one currently faulting.

Skip the decrement for VM_SEQ_READ in both decrement sites so the
counter only moves for mappings that also participate in the
increment side. No functional change for VM_SEQ_READ users, since the
increment-side gate already prevents the counter from being consulted
on their behalf, but it stops a VM_SEQ_READ mapping from biasing the
counter for other mappings of the same file.

Signed-off-by: Usama Arif <usama.arif@xxxxxxxxx>
---
mm/filemap.c | 14 ++++++++++++--
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/mm/filemap.c b/mm/filemap.c
index 5aaba0d3e81d..cca20e350c95 100644
--- a/mm/filemap.c
+++ b/mm/filemap.c
@@ -3433,8 +3433,13 @@ static struct file *do_async_mmap_readahead(struct vm_fault *vmf,
* Don't touch the mmap_miss counter to avoid decreasing it multiple
* times for a single folio and break the balance with mmap_miss
* increase in do_sync_mmap_readahead().
+ *
+ * VM_SEQ_READ mappings skip the mmap_miss increment in
+ * do_sync_mmap_readahead(), so skip the decrement here as well to
+ * keep the counter symmetric.
*/
- if (likely(!folio_test_locked(folio))) {
+ if (likely(!folio_test_locked(folio)) &&
+ !(vmf->vma->vm_flags & VM_SEQ_READ)) {
mmap_miss = READ_ONCE(ra->mmap_miss);
if (mmap_miss)
WRITE_ONCE(ra->mmap_miss, --mmap_miss);
@@ -3935,10 +3940,15 @@ vm_fault_t filemap_map_pages(struct vm_fault *vmf,
* In such situation, read-ahead is only a waste of IO.
* Don't decrease mmap_miss in this scenario to make sure
* we can stop read-ahead.
+ *
+ * VM_SEQ_READ mappings skip the mmap_miss increment in
+ * do_sync_mmap_readahead(), so skip the decrement here as
+ * well to keep the counter symmetric.
*/
if ((map_ret & VM_FAULT_NOPAGE) &&
!(vmf->flags & FAULT_FLAG_TRIED) &&
- !folio_test_workingset(folio)) {
+ !folio_test_workingset(folio) &&
+ !(vma->vm_flags & VM_SEQ_READ)) {
unsigned short mmap_miss;

mmap_miss = READ_ONCE(file->f_ra.mmap_miss);
--
2.52.0