diff --git a/kernel/timer.c b/kernel/timer.c
index dbaa62422b13c057754252d986f97440ec7dd3af..9c3c62b0c4bc89ebd307ff79950039021d157861 100644
--- a/kernel/timer.c
+++ b/kernel/timer.c
@@ -1368,7 +1368,7 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE0(getppid)
 	int pid;
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
-	pid = task_tgid_vnr(current->real_parent);
+	pid = task_tgid_vnr(rcu_dereference(current->real_parent));
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 
 	return pid;