diff --git a/include/linux/rmap.h b/include/linux/rmap.h
index c0c2bce6b0b7..d9d7e7e56352 100644
--- a/include/linux/rmap.h
+++ b/include/linux/rmap.h
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ struct anon_vma {
 	 */
 	atomic_t refcount;
 
+	/*
+	 * Count of child anon_vmas and VMAs which points to this anon_vma.
+	 *
+	 * This counter is used for making decision about reusing anon_vma
+	 * instead of forking new one. See comments in function anon_vma_clone.
+	 */
+	unsigned degree;
+
+	struct anon_vma *parent;	/* Parent of this anon_vma */
+
 	/*
 	 * NOTE: the LSB of the rb_root.rb_node is set by
 	 * mm_take_all_locks() _after_ taking the above lock. So the
diff --git a/mm/rmap.c b/mm/rmap.c
index c5bc241127b2..71cd5bd0c17d 100644
--- a/mm/rmap.c
+++ b/mm/rmap.c
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ static inline struct anon_vma *anon_vma_alloc(void)
 	anon_vma = kmem_cache_alloc(anon_vma_cachep, GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (anon_vma) {
 		atomic_set(&anon_vma->refcount, 1);
+		anon_vma->degree = 1;	/* Reference for first vma */
+		anon_vma->parent = anon_vma;
 		/*
 		 * Initialise the anon_vma root to point to itself. If called
 		 * from fork, the root will be reset to the parents anon_vma.
@@ -188,6 +190,8 @@ int anon_vma_prepare(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 		if (likely(!vma->anon_vma)) {
 			vma->anon_vma = anon_vma;
 			anon_vma_chain_link(vma, avc, anon_vma);
+			/* vma reference or self-parent link for new root */
+			anon_vma->degree++;
 			allocated = NULL;
 			avc = NULL;
 		}
@@ -236,6 +240,14 @@ static inline void unlock_anon_vma_root(struct anon_vma *root)
 /*
  * Attach the anon_vmas from src to dst.
  * Returns 0 on success, -ENOMEM on failure.
+ *
+ * If dst->anon_vma is NULL this function tries to find and reuse existing
+ * anon_vma which has no vmas and only one child anon_vma. This prevents
+ * degradation of anon_vma hierarchy to endless linear chain in case of
+ * constantly forking task. On the other hand, an anon_vma with more than one
+ * child isn't reused even if there was no alive vma, thus rmap walker has a
+ * good chance of avoiding scanning the whole hierarchy when it searches where
+ * page is mapped.
  */
 int anon_vma_clone(struct vm_area_struct *dst, struct vm_area_struct *src)
 {
@@ -256,7 +268,21 @@ int anon_vma_clone(struct vm_area_struct *dst, struct vm_area_struct *src)
 		anon_vma = pavc->anon_vma;
 		root = lock_anon_vma_root(root, anon_vma);
 		anon_vma_chain_link(dst, avc, anon_vma);
+
+		/*
+		 * Reuse existing anon_vma if its degree lower than two,
+		 * that means it has no vma and only one anon_vma child.
+		 *
+		 * Do not chose parent anon_vma, otherwise first child
+		 * will always reuse it. Root anon_vma is never reused:
+		 * it has self-parent reference and at least one child.
+		 */
+		if (!dst->anon_vma && anon_vma != src->anon_vma &&
+				anon_vma->degree < 2)
+			dst->anon_vma = anon_vma;
 	}
+	if (dst->anon_vma)
+		dst->anon_vma->degree++;
 	unlock_anon_vma_root(root);
 	return 0;
 
@@ -280,6 +306,9 @@ int anon_vma_fork(struct vm_area_struct *vma, struct vm_area_struct *pvma)
 	if (!pvma->anon_vma)
 		return 0;
 
+	/* Drop inherited anon_vma, we'll reuse existing or allocate new. */
+	vma->anon_vma = NULL;
+
 	/*
 	 * First, attach the new VMA to the parent VMA's anon_vmas,
 	 * so rmap can find non-COWed pages in child processes.
@@ -288,6 +317,10 @@ int anon_vma_fork(struct vm_area_struct *vma, struct vm_area_struct *pvma)
 	if (error)
 		return error;
 
+	/* An existing anon_vma has been reused, all done then. */
+	if (vma->anon_vma)
+		return 0;
+
 	/* Then add our own anon_vma. */
 	anon_vma = anon_vma_alloc();
 	if (!anon_vma)
@@ -301,6 +334,7 @@ int anon_vma_fork(struct vm_area_struct *vma, struct vm_area_struct *pvma)
 	 * lock any of the anon_vmas in this anon_vma tree.
 	 */
 	anon_vma->root = pvma->anon_vma->root;
+	anon_vma->parent = pvma->anon_vma;
 	/*
 	 * With refcounts, an anon_vma can stay around longer than the
 	 * process it belongs to. The root anon_vma needs to be pinned until
@@ -311,6 +345,7 @@ int anon_vma_fork(struct vm_area_struct *vma, struct vm_area_struct *pvma)
 	vma->anon_vma = anon_vma;
 	anon_vma_lock_write(anon_vma);
 	anon_vma_chain_link(vma, avc, anon_vma);
+	anon_vma->parent->degree++;
 	anon_vma_unlock_write(anon_vma);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -341,12 +376,16 @@ void unlink_anon_vmas(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 		 * Leave empty anon_vmas on the list - we'll need
 		 * to free them outside the lock.
 		 */
-		if (RB_EMPTY_ROOT(&anon_vma->rb_root))
+		if (RB_EMPTY_ROOT(&anon_vma->rb_root)) {
+			anon_vma->parent->degree--;
 			continue;
+		}
 
 		list_del(&avc->same_vma);
 		anon_vma_chain_free(avc);
 	}
+	if (vma->anon_vma)
+		vma->anon_vma->degree--;
 	unlock_anon_vma_root(root);
 
 	/*
@@ -357,6 +396,7 @@ void unlink_anon_vmas(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(avc, next, &vma->anon_vma_chain, same_vma) {
 		struct anon_vma *anon_vma = avc->anon_vma;
 
+		BUG_ON(anon_vma->degree);
 		put_anon_vma(anon_vma);
 
 		list_del(&avc->same_vma);