diff --git a/include/linux/kthread.h b/include/linux/kthread.h
index c92c1149ee6e..a01a474719a7 100644
--- a/include/linux/kthread.h
+++ b/include/linux/kthread.h
@@ -7,6 +7,24 @@
 
 struct mm_struct;
 
+/* opaque kthread data */
+struct kthread;
+
+/*
+ * When "(p->flags & PF_KTHREAD)" is set the task is a kthread and will
+ * always remain a kthread.  For kthreads p->worker_private always
+ * points to a struct kthread.  For tasks that are not kthreads
+ * p->worker_private is used to point to other things.
+ *
+ * Return NULL for any task that is not a kthread.
+ */
+static inline struct kthread *tsk_is_kthread(struct task_struct *p)
+{
+	if (p->flags & PF_KTHREAD)
+		return p->worker_private;
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 __printf(4, 5)
 struct task_struct *kthread_create_on_node(int (*threadfn)(void *data),
 					   void *data,
@@ -98,9 +116,10 @@ void *kthread_probe_data(struct task_struct *k);
 int kthread_park(struct task_struct *k);
 void kthread_unpark(struct task_struct *k);
 void kthread_parkme(void);
-void kthread_exit(long result) __noreturn;
+#define kthread_exit(result) do_exit(result)
 void kthread_complete_and_exit(struct completion *, long) __noreturn;
 int kthreads_update_housekeeping(void);
+void kthread_do_exit(struct kthread *, long);
 
 int kthreadd(void *unused);
 extern struct task_struct *kthreadd_task;
diff --git a/kernel/exit.c b/kernel/exit.c
index 8a87021211ae..ede3117fa7d4 100644
--- a/kernel/exit.c
+++ b/kernel/exit.c
@@ -896,11 +896,16 @@ static void synchronize_group_exit(struct task_struct *tsk, long code)
 void __noreturn do_exit(long code)
 {
 	struct task_struct *tsk = current;
+	struct kthread *kthread;
 	int group_dead;
 
 	WARN_ON(irqs_disabled());
 	WARN_ON(tsk->plug);
 
+	kthread = tsk_is_kthread(tsk);
+	if (unlikely(kthread))
+		kthread_do_exit(kthread, code);
+
 	kcov_task_exit(tsk);
 	kmsan_task_exit(tsk);
 
@@ -1013,6 +1018,7 @@ void __noreturn do_exit(long code)
 	lockdep_free_task(tsk);
 	do_task_dead();
 }
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(do_exit);
 
 void __noreturn make_task_dead(int signr)
 {
diff --git a/kernel/kthread.c b/kernel/kthread.c
index 20451b624b67..791210daf8b4 100644
--- a/kernel/kthread.c
+++ b/kernel/kthread.c
@@ -85,24 +85,6 @@ static inline struct kthread *to_kthread(struct task_struct *k)
 	return k->worker_private;
 }
 
-/*
- * Variant of to_kthread() that doesn't assume @p is a kthread.
- *
- * When "(p->flags & PF_KTHREAD)" is set the task is a kthread and will
- * always remain a kthread.  For kthreads p->worker_private always
- * points to a struct kthread.  For tasks that are not kthreads
- * p->worker_private is used to point to other things.
- *
- * Return NULL for any task that is not a kthread.
- */
-static inline struct kthread *__to_kthread(struct task_struct *p)
-{
-	void *kthread = p->worker_private;
-	if (kthread && !(p->flags & PF_KTHREAD))
-		kthread = NULL;
-	return kthread;
-}
-
 void get_kthread_comm(char *buf, size_t buf_size, struct task_struct *tsk)
 {
 	struct kthread *kthread = to_kthread(tsk);
@@ -193,7 +175,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(kthread_should_park);
 
 bool kthread_should_stop_or_park(void)
 {
-	struct kthread *kthread = __to_kthread(current);
+	struct kthread *kthread = tsk_is_kthread(current);
 
 	if (!kthread)
 		return false;
@@ -234,7 +216,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(kthread_freezable_should_stop);
  */
 void *kthread_func(struct task_struct *task)
 {
-	struct kthread *kthread = __to_kthread(task);
+	struct kthread *kthread = tsk_is_kthread(task);
 	if (kthread)
 		return kthread->threadfn;
 	return NULL;
@@ -266,7 +248,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(kthread_data);
  */
 void *kthread_probe_data(struct task_struct *task)
 {
-	struct kthread *kthread = __to_kthread(task);
+	struct kthread *kthread = tsk_is_kthread(task);
 	void *data = NULL;
 
 	if (kthread)
@@ -309,19 +291,8 @@ void kthread_parkme(void)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(kthread_parkme);
 
-/**
- * kthread_exit - Cause the current kthread return @result to kthread_stop().
- * @result: The integer value to return to kthread_stop().
- *
- * While kthread_exit can be called directly, it exists so that
- * functions which do some additional work in non-modular code such as
- * module_put_and_kthread_exit can be implemented.
- *
- * Does not return.
- */
-void __noreturn kthread_exit(long result)
+void kthread_do_exit(struct kthread *kthread, long result)
 {
-	struct kthread *kthread = to_kthread(current);
 	kthread->result = result;
 	if (!list_empty(&kthread->affinity_node)) {
 		mutex_lock(&kthread_affinity_lock);
@@ -333,9 +304,7 @@ void __noreturn kthread_exit(long result)
 			kthread->preferred_affinity = NULL;
 		}
 	}
-	do_exit(0);
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(kthread_exit);
 
 /**
  * kthread_complete_and_exit - Exit the current kthread.
@@ -683,7 +652,7 @@ void kthread_set_per_cpu(struct task_struct *k, int cpu)
 
 bool kthread_is_per_cpu(struct task_struct *p)
 {
-	struct kthread *kthread = __to_kthread(p);
+	struct kthread *kthread = tsk_is_kthread(p);
 	if (!kthread)
 		return false;