diff --git a/drivers/block/loop.c b/drivers/block/loop.c
index 6e56c3faacac705bdf25c78ac8787738dd173010..637c5bda2387f9c6bb67ba2d327f72ed93a72d45 100644
--- a/drivers/block/loop.c
+++ b/drivers/block/loop.c
@@ -1775,14 +1775,43 @@ static const struct block_device_operations lo_fops = {
 /*
  * If max_loop is specified, create that many devices upfront.
  * This also becomes a hard limit. If max_loop is not specified,
+ * the default isn't a hard limit (as before commit 85c50197716c
+ * changed the default value from 0 for max_loop=0 reasons), just
  * create CONFIG_BLK_DEV_LOOP_MIN_COUNT loop devices at module
  * init time. Loop devices can be requested on-demand with the
  * /dev/loop-control interface, or be instantiated by accessing
  * a 'dead' device node.
  */
 static int max_loop = CONFIG_BLK_DEV_LOOP_MIN_COUNT;
-module_param(max_loop, int, 0444);
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_BLOCK_LEGACY_AUTOLOAD
+static bool max_loop_specified;
+
+static int max_loop_param_set_int(const char *val,
+				  const struct kernel_param *kp)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = param_set_int(val, kp);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+
+	max_loop_specified = true;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static const struct kernel_param_ops max_loop_param_ops = {
+	.set = max_loop_param_set_int,
+	.get = param_get_int,
+};
+
+module_param_cb(max_loop, &max_loop_param_ops, &max_loop, 0444);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(max_loop, "Maximum number of loop devices");
+#else
+module_param(max_loop, int, 0444);
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(max_loop, "Initial number of loop devices");
+#endif
+
 module_param(max_part, int, 0444);
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(max_part, "Maximum number of partitions per loop device");
 
@@ -2098,7 +2127,7 @@ static void loop_probe(dev_t dev)
 {
 	int idx = MINOR(dev) >> part_shift;
 
-	if (max_loop && idx >= max_loop)
+	if (max_loop_specified && max_loop && idx >= max_loop)
 		return;
 	loop_add(idx);
 }
@@ -2285,6 +2314,9 @@ module_exit(loop_exit);
 static int __init max_loop_setup(char *str)
 {
 	max_loop = simple_strtol(str, NULL, 0);
+#ifdef CONFIG_BLOCK_LEGACY_AUTOLOAD
+	max_loop_specified = true;
+#endif
 	return 1;
 }