diff --git a/kernel/events/core.c b/kernel/events/core.c
index 677164d54547..284232edf9be 100644
--- a/kernel/events/core.c
+++ b/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -5393,7 +5393,7 @@ struct ring_buffer *ring_buffer_get(struct perf_event *event)
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	rb = rcu_dereference(event->rb);
 	if (rb) {
-		if (!atomic_inc_not_zero(&rb->refcount))
+		if (!refcount_inc_not_zero(&rb->refcount))
 			rb = NULL;
 	}
 	rcu_read_unlock();
@@ -5403,7 +5403,7 @@ struct ring_buffer *ring_buffer_get(struct perf_event *event)
 
 void ring_buffer_put(struct ring_buffer *rb)
 {
-	if (!atomic_dec_and_test(&rb->refcount))
+	if (!refcount_dec_and_test(&rb->refcount))
 		return;
 
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(!list_empty(&rb->event_list));
diff --git a/kernel/events/internal.h b/kernel/events/internal.h
index 6dc725a7e7bc..4718de2a04e6 100644
--- a/kernel/events/internal.h
+++ b/kernel/events/internal.h
@@ -4,13 +4,14 @@
 
 #include <linux/hardirq.h>
 #include <linux/uaccess.h>
+#include <linux/refcount.h>
 
 /* Buffer handling */
 
 #define RING_BUFFER_WRITABLE		0x01
 
 struct ring_buffer {
-	atomic_t			refcount;
+	refcount_t			refcount;
 	struct rcu_head			rcu_head;
 #ifdef CONFIG_PERF_USE_VMALLOC
 	struct work_struct		work;
diff --git a/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c b/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c
index ed6409300ef5..0a71d16ca41b 100644
--- a/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c
+++ b/kernel/events/ring_buffer.c
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ ring_buffer_init(struct ring_buffer *rb, long watermark, int flags)
 	else
 		rb->overwrite = 1;
 
-	atomic_set(&rb->refcount, 1);
+	refcount_set(&rb->refcount, 1);
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&rb->event_list);
 	spin_lock_init(&rb->event_lock);