[PATCH v2 00/19] tracepoint: Avoid double static_branch evaluation at guarded call sites

[PATCH v2 00/19] tracepoint: Avoid double static_branch evaluation at guarded call sites

[Vineeth Pillai (Google)]

When a caller already guards a tracepoint with an explicit enabled check:

  if (trace_foo_enabled() && cond)
      trace_foo(args);

trace_foo() internally re-evaluates the static_branch_unlikely() key.
Since static branches are patched binary instructions the compiler cannot
fold the two evaluations, so every such site pays the cost twice.

This series introduces trace_call__##name() as a companion to
trace_##name().  It calls __do_trace_##name() directly, bypassing the
redundant static-branch re-check, while preserving all other correctness
properties of the normal path (RCU-watching assertion, might_fault() for
syscall tracepoints).  The internal __do_trace_##name() symbol is not
leaked to call sites; trace_call__##name() is the only new public API.

  if (trace_foo_enabled() && cond)
      trace_call__foo(args);   /* calls __do_trace_foo() directly */

The first patch adds the three-location change to
include/linux/tracepoint.h (__DECLARE_TRACE, __DECLARE_TRACE_SYSCALL,
and the !TRACEPOINTS_ENABLED stub).  The remaining 18 patches
mechanically convert all guarded call sites found in the tree:
kernel/, io_uring/, net/, accel/habanalabs, cpufreq/, devfreq/,
dma-buf/, fsi/, drm/, HID, i2c/, spi/, scsi/ufs/, btrfs/,
net/devlink/, kernel/time/, kernel/trace/, mm/damon/, and arch/x86/.

This series is motivated by Peter Zijlstra's observation in the discussion
around Dmitry Ilvokhin's locking tracepoint instrumentation series, where
he noted that compilers cannot optimize static branches and that guarded
call sites end up evaluating the static branch twice for no reason, and
by Steven Rostedt's suggestion to add a proper API instead of exposing
internal implementation details like __do_trace_##name() directly to
call sites:

  https://lore.kernel.org/linux-trace-kernel/8298e098d3418cb446ef396f119edac58a3414e9.1772642407.git.d@ilvokhin.com

Suggested-by: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Suggested-by: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>

Changes in v2:
- Renamed trace_invoke_##name() to trace_call__##name() (double
  underscore) per review comments.
- Added 4 new patches covering sites missed in v1, found using
  coccinelle to scan the tree (Keith Busch):
    * net/devlink: guarded tracepoint_enabled() block in trap.c
    * kernel/time: early-return guard in tick-sched.c (tick_stop)
    * kernel/trace: early-return guard in trace_benchmark.c
    * mm/damon: early-return guard in core.c
    * arch/x86: do_trace_*() wrapper functions in lib/msr.c, which
      are called exclusively from tracepoint_enabled()-guarded sites
      in asm/msr.h

v1: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-trace-kernel/abSqrJ1J59RQC47U@kbusch-mbp/

Vineeth Pillai (Google) (19):
  tracepoint: Add trace_call__##name() API
  kernel: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  io_uring: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  net: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  accel/habanalabs: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call
    sites
  cpufreq: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  devfreq: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  dma-buf: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  fsi: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  drm: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  HID: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  i2c: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  spi: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  scsi: ufs: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  btrfs: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  net: devlink: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call
    sites
  kernel: time, trace: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint
    call sites
  mm: damon: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites
  x86: msr: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites

 arch/x86/lib/msr.c                                |  6 +++---
 drivers/accel/habanalabs/common/device.c          | 12 ++++++------
 drivers/accel/habanalabs/common/mmu/mmu.c         |  3 ++-
 drivers/accel/habanalabs/common/pci/pci.c         |  4 ++--
 drivers/cpufreq/amd-pstate.c                      | 10 +++++-----
 drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c                         |  2 +-
 drivers/cpufreq/intel_pstate.c                    |  2 +-
 drivers/devfreq/devfreq.c                         |  2 +-
 drivers/dma-buf/dma-fence.c                       |  4 ++--
 drivers/fsi/fsi-master-aspeed.c                   |  2 +-
 drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/amdgpu_cs.c            |  2 +-
 drivers/gpu/drm/amd/amdgpu/amdgpu_vm.c            |  4 ++--
 drivers/gpu/drm/amd/display/amdgpu_dm/amdgpu_dm.c |  2 +-
 drivers/gpu/drm/scheduler/sched_entity.c          |  4 ++--
 drivers/hid/intel-ish-hid/ipc/pci-ish.c           |  2 +-
 drivers/i2c/i2c-core-slave.c                      |  2 +-
 drivers/spi/spi-axi-spi-engine.c                  |  4 ++--
 drivers/ufs/core/ufshcd.c                         | 12 ++++++------
 fs/btrfs/extent_map.c                             |  4 ++--
 fs/btrfs/raid56.c                                 |  4 ++--
 include/linux/tracepoint.h                        | 11 +++++++++++
 io_uring/io_uring.h                               |  2 +-
 kernel/irq_work.c                                 |  2 +-
 kernel/sched/ext.c                                |  2 +-
 kernel/smp.c                                      |  2 +-
 kernel/time/tick-sched.c                          | 12 ++++++------
 kernel/trace/trace_benchmark.c                    |  2 +-
 mm/damon/core.c                                   |  2 +-
 net/core/dev.c                                    |  2 +-
 net/core/xdp.c                                    |  2 +-
 net/devlink/trap.c                                |  2 +-
 net/openvswitch/actions.c                         |  2 +-
 net/openvswitch/datapath.c                        |  2 +-
 net/sctp/outqueue.c                               |  2 +-
 net/tipc/node.c                                   |  2 +-
 35 files changed, 74 insertions(+), 62 deletions(-)

-- 
2.53.0

[PATCH v2 01/19] tracepoint: Add trace_call__##name() API

[Vineeth Pillai (Google)]

Add trace_call__##name() as a companion to trace_##name().  When a
caller already guards a tracepoint with an explicit enabled check:

  if (trace_foo_enabled() && cond)
      trace_foo(args);

trace_foo() internally repeats the static_branch_unlikely() test, which
the compiler cannot fold since static branches are patched binary
instructions.  This results in two static-branch evaluations for every
guarded call site.

trace_call__##name() calls __do_trace_##name() directly, skipping the
redundant static-branch re-check.  This avoids leaking the internal
__do_trace_##name() symbol into call sites while still eliminating the
double evaluation:

  if (trace_foo_enabled() && cond)
      trace_invoke_foo(args);   /* calls __do_trace_foo() directly */

Three locations are updated:
- __DECLARE_TRACE: invoke form omits static_branch_unlikely, retains
  the LOCKDEP RCU-watching assertion.
- __DECLARE_TRACE_SYSCALL: same, plus retains might_fault().
- !TRACEPOINTS_ENABLED stub: empty no-op so callers compile cleanly
  when tracepoints are compiled out.

Suggested-by: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Suggested-by: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
Signed-off-by: Vineeth Pillai (Google) <vineeth@bitbyteword.org>
Assisted-by: Claude:claude-sonnet-4-6
---
 include/linux/tracepoint.h | 11 +++++++++++
 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+)

diff --git a/include/linux/tracepoint.h b/include/linux/tracepoint.h
index 22ca1c8b54f32..ed969705341f1 100644
--- a/include/linux/tracepoint.h
+++ b/include/linux/tracepoint.h
@@ -294,6 +294,10 @@ static inline struct tracepoint *tracepoint_ptr_deref(tracepoint_ptr_t *p)
 			WARN_ONCE(!rcu_is_watching(),			\
 				  "RCU not watching for tracepoint");	\
 		}							\
+	}								\
+	static inline void trace_call__##name(proto)			\
+	{								\
+		__do_trace_##name(args);				\
 	}
 
 #define __DECLARE_TRACE_SYSCALL(name, proto, args, data_proto)		\
@@ -313,6 +317,11 @@ static inline struct tracepoint *tracepoint_ptr_deref(tracepoint_ptr_t *p)
 			WARN_ONCE(!rcu_is_watching(),			\
 				  "RCU not watching for tracepoint");	\
 		}							\
+	}								\
+	static inline void trace_call__##name(proto)			\
+	{								\
+		might_fault();						\
+		__do_trace_##name(args);				\
 	}
 
 /*
@@ -398,6 +407,8 @@ static inline struct tracepoint *tracepoint_ptr_deref(tracepoint_ptr_t *p)
 #define __DECLARE_TRACE_COMMON(name, proto, args, data_proto)		\
 	static inline void trace_##name(proto)				\
 	{ }								\
+	static inline void trace_call__##name(proto)			\
+	{ }								\
 	static inline int						\
 	register_trace_##name(void (*probe)(data_proto),		\
 			      void *data)				\
-- 
2.53.0

Re: [PATCH v2 01/19] tracepoint: Add trace_call__##name() API

[Masami Hiramatsu]

On Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:20 -0400
"Vineeth Pillai (Google)" <vineeth@bitbyteword.org> wrote:

> Add trace_call__##name() as a companion to trace_##name().  When a
> caller already guards a tracepoint with an explicit enabled check:
> 
>   if (trace_foo_enabled() && cond)
>       trace_foo(args);
> 
> trace_foo() internally repeats the static_branch_unlikely() test, which
> the compiler cannot fold since static branches are patched binary
> instructions.  This results in two static-branch evaluations for every
> guarded call site.
> 
> trace_call__##name() calls __do_trace_##name() directly, skipping the
> redundant static-branch re-check.  This avoids leaking the internal
> __do_trace_##name() symbol into call sites while still eliminating the
> double evaluation:
> 
>   if (trace_foo_enabled() && cond)
>       trace_invoke_foo(args);   /* calls __do_trace_foo() directly */

nit: trace_call_foo() instead of trace_invoke_foo()?

Anyway looks good to me.

Acked-by: Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <mhiramat@kernel.org>


> 
> Three locations are updated:
> - __DECLARE_TRACE: invoke form omits static_branch_unlikely, retains
>   the LOCKDEP RCU-watching assertion.
> - __DECLARE_TRACE_SYSCALL: same, plus retains might_fault().
> - !TRACEPOINTS_ENABLED stub: empty no-op so callers compile cleanly
>   when tracepoints are compiled out.
> 
> Suggested-by: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
> Suggested-by: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
> Signed-off-by: Vineeth Pillai (Google) <vineeth@bitbyteword.org>
> Assisted-by: Claude:claude-sonnet-4-6
> ---
>  include/linux/tracepoint.h | 11 +++++++++++
>  1 file changed, 11 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/include/linux/tracepoint.h b/include/linux/tracepoint.h
> index 22ca1c8b54f32..ed969705341f1 100644
> --- a/include/linux/tracepoint.h
> +++ b/include/linux/tracepoint.h
> @@ -294,6 +294,10 @@ static inline struct tracepoint *tracepoint_ptr_deref(tracepoint_ptr_t *p)
>  			WARN_ONCE(!rcu_is_watching(),			\
>  				  "RCU not watching for tracepoint");	\
>  		}							\
> +	}								\
> +	static inline void trace_call__##name(proto)			\
> +	{								\
> +		__do_trace_##name(args);				\
>  	}
>  
>  #define __DECLARE_TRACE_SYSCALL(name, proto, args, data_proto)		\
> @@ -313,6 +317,11 @@ static inline struct tracepoint *tracepoint_ptr_deref(tracepoint_ptr_t *p)
>  			WARN_ONCE(!rcu_is_watching(),			\
>  				  "RCU not watching for tracepoint");	\
>  		}							\
> +	}								\
> +	static inline void trace_call__##name(proto)			\
> +	{								\
> +		might_fault();						\
> +		__do_trace_##name(args);				\
>  	}
>  
>  /*
> @@ -398,6 +407,8 @@ static inline struct tracepoint *tracepoint_ptr_deref(tracepoint_ptr_t *p)
>  #define __DECLARE_TRACE_COMMON(name, proto, args, data_proto)		\
>  	static inline void trace_##name(proto)				\
>  	{ }								\
> +	static inline void trace_call__##name(proto)			\
> +	{ }								\
>  	static inline int						\
>  	register_trace_##name(void (*probe)(data_proto),		\
>  			      void *data)				\
> -- 
> 2.53.0
> 


-- 
Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <mhiramat@kernel.org>

[PATCH v2 15/19] btrfs: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites

[Vineeth Pillai (Google)]

Replace trace_foo() with the new trace_call__foo() at sites already
guarded by trace_foo_enabled(), avoiding a redundant
static_branch_unlikely() re-evaluation inside the tracepoint.
trace_call__foo() calls the tracepoint callbacks directly without
utilizing the static branch again.

Suggested-by: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
Suggested-by: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
Signed-off-by: Vineeth Pillai (Google) <vineeth@bitbyteword.org>
Assisted-by: Claude:claude-sonnet-4-6
---
 fs/btrfs/extent_map.c | 4 ++--
 fs/btrfs/raid56.c     | 4 ++--
 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/btrfs/extent_map.c b/fs/btrfs/extent_map.c
index 095a561d733f0..9284c0a81befb 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/extent_map.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/extent_map.c
@@ -1318,7 +1318,7 @@ static void btrfs_extent_map_shrinker_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 	if (trace_btrfs_extent_map_shrinker_scan_enter_enabled()) {
 		s64 nr = percpu_counter_sum_positive(&fs_info->evictable_extent_maps);
 
-		trace_btrfs_extent_map_shrinker_scan_enter(fs_info, nr);
+		trace_call__btrfs_extent_map_shrinker_scan_enter(fs_info, nr);
 	}
 
 	while (ctx.scanned < ctx.nr_to_scan && !btrfs_fs_closing(fs_info)) {
@@ -1358,7 +1358,7 @@ static void btrfs_extent_map_shrinker_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 	if (trace_btrfs_extent_map_shrinker_scan_exit_enabled()) {
 		s64 nr = percpu_counter_sum_positive(&fs_info->evictable_extent_maps);
 
-		trace_btrfs_extent_map_shrinker_scan_exit(fs_info, nr_dropped, nr);
+		trace_call__btrfs_extent_map_shrinker_scan_exit(fs_info, nr_dropped, nr);
 	}
 
 	atomic64_set(&fs_info->em_shrinker_nr_to_scan, 0);
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/raid56.c b/fs/btrfs/raid56.c
index b4511f560e929..0b5b2432aedf6 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/raid56.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/raid56.c
@@ -1743,7 +1743,7 @@ static void submit_read_wait_bio_list(struct btrfs_raid_bio *rbio,
 			struct raid56_bio_trace_info trace_info = { 0 };
 
 			bio_get_trace_info(rbio, bio, &trace_info);
-			trace_raid56_read(rbio, bio, &trace_info);
+			trace_call__raid56_read(rbio, bio, &trace_info);
 		}
 		submit_bio(bio);
 	}
@@ -2420,7 +2420,7 @@ static void submit_write_bios(struct btrfs_raid_bio *rbio,
 			struct raid56_bio_trace_info trace_info = { 0 };
 
 			bio_get_trace_info(rbio, bio, &trace_info);
-			trace_raid56_write(rbio, bio, &trace_info);
+			trace_call__raid56_write(rbio, bio, &trace_info);
 		}
 		submit_bio(bio);
 	}
-- 
2.53.0

Re: [PATCH v2 15/19] btrfs: Use trace_call__##name() at guarded tracepoint call sites

[David Sterba]

On Mon, Mar 23, 2026 at 12:00:34PM -0400, Vineeth Pillai (Google) wrote:
> Replace trace_foo() with the new trace_call__foo() at sites already
> guarded by trace_foo_enabled(), avoiding a redundant
> static_branch_unlikely() re-evaluation inside the tracepoint.
> trace_call__foo() calls the tracepoint callbacks directly without
> utilizing the static branch again.
> 
> Suggested-by: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>
> Suggested-by: Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
> Signed-off-by: Vineeth Pillai (Google) <vineeth@bitbyteword.org>
> Assisted-by: Claude:claude-sonnet-4-6

Acked-by: David Sterba <dsterba@suse.com>

Re: [PATCH v2 00/19] tracepoint: Avoid double static_branch evaluation at guarded call sites

[Steven Rostedt]

On Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:19 -0400
"Vineeth Pillai (Google)" <vineeth@bitbyteword.org> wrote:

> When a caller already guards a tracepoint with an explicit enabled check:
> 
>   if (trace_foo_enabled() && cond)
>       trace_foo(args);

Thanks Vineeth!

I'm going to start pulling in this series. I'll take the first patch, and
then any patch that has an Acked-by or Reviewed-by from the maintainer.

For patches without acks, I'll leave alone and then after the first patch
gets merged into mainline, the maintainers could pull in their own patches
at their own convenience. Unless of course they speak up now if they want
me to take them ;-)

-- Steve