[PATCH] block: invalidate cached plug timestamp after task switch

From: Usama Arif

Date: Thu Jun 11 2026 - 19:16:01 EST


blk_time_get_ns() caches ktime_get_ns() in current->plug->cur_ktime
and marks the task with PF_BLOCK_TS. That cache is only valid while the
task keeps running; if the task is switched out, wall-clock time
advances and the cached value must not be reused when the task runs again.

The existing invalidation covers explicit plug flushes through
__blk_flush_plug(), and the schedule() / rtmutex paths through
sched_update_worker(). It does not cover in-kernel preemption paths such
as preempt_schedule(), preempt_schedule_notrace(), and
preempt_schedule_irq(), which enter __schedule(SM_PREEMPT) directly and
return without calling sched_update_worker().

As a result, a task preempted while holding a plug with PF_BLOCK_TS set
can reuse a stale plug->cur_ktime after it is scheduled back in. blk-iocost
then consumes that stale timestamp through ioc_now(), producing stale vnow
values for throttle decisions, and through ioc_rqos_done(), inflating
on-queue time and feeding false missed-QoS samples into vrate
adjustment.

Move the schedule-side invalidation to finish_task_switch(), which runs
for the scheduled-in task after every actual context switch regardless
of which schedule entry point was used. Keep __blk_flush_plug() as the
explicit flush/finish-plug invalidation path, and remove only the
PF_BLOCK_TS handling from sched_update_worker().

Fixes: 06b23f92af87 ("block: update cached timestamp post schedule/preemption")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Usama Arif <usama.arif@xxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/sched/core.c | 13 +++++++++----
1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/sched/core.c b/kernel/sched/core.c
index 8b791e9e9f67..bf024ca115ff 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/core.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/core.c
@@ -5368,6 +5368,13 @@ static struct rq *finish_task_switch(struct task_struct *prev)
*/
kmap_local_sched_in();

+ /*
+ * Any cached block-layer timestamp (plug->cur_ktime) is stale now,
+ * invalidate it.
+ */
+ if (unlikely(current->flags & PF_BLOCK_TS))
+ blk_plug_invalidate_ts(current);
+
fire_sched_in_preempt_notifiers(current);
/*
* When switching through a kernel thread, the loop in
@@ -7290,12 +7297,10 @@ static inline void sched_submit_work(struct task_struct *tsk)

static void sched_update_worker(struct task_struct *tsk)
{
- if (tsk->flags & (PF_WQ_WORKER | PF_IO_WORKER | PF_BLOCK_TS)) {
- if (tsk->flags & PF_BLOCK_TS)
- blk_plug_invalidate_ts(tsk);
+ if (tsk->flags & (PF_WQ_WORKER | PF_IO_WORKER)) {
if (tsk->flags & PF_WQ_WORKER)
wq_worker_running(tsk);
- else if (tsk->flags & PF_IO_WORKER)
+ else
io_wq_worker_running(tsk);
}
}
--
2.53.0-Meta