diff --git a/kernel/ucount.c b/kernel/ucount.c
index eb03f3c68375..16feb710ee63 100644
--- a/kernel/ucount.c
+++ b/kernel/ucount.c
@@ -258,15 +258,16 @@ void dec_ucount(struct ucounts *ucounts, enum ucount_type type)
 long inc_rlimit_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts, enum ucount_type type, long v)
 {
 	struct ucounts *iter;
+	long max = LONG_MAX;
 	long ret = 0;
 
 	for (iter = ucounts; iter; iter = iter->ns->ucounts) {
-		long max = READ_ONCE(iter->ns->ucount_max[type]);
 		long new = atomic_long_add_return(v, &iter->ucount[type]);
 		if (new < 0 || new > max)
 			ret = LONG_MAX;
 		else if (iter == ucounts)
 			ret = new;
+		max = READ_ONCE(iter->ns->ucount_max[type]);
 	}
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -306,15 +307,16 @@ long inc_rlimit_get_ucounts(struct ucounts *ucounts, enum ucount_type type)
 {
 	/* Caller must hold a reference to ucounts */
 	struct ucounts *iter;
+	long max = LONG_MAX;
 	long dec, ret = 0;
 
 	for (iter = ucounts; iter; iter = iter->ns->ucounts) {
-		long max = READ_ONCE(iter->ns->ucount_max[type]);
 		long new = atomic_long_add_return(1, &iter->ucount[type]);
 		if (new < 0 || new > max)
 			goto unwind;
 		if (iter == ucounts)
 			ret = new;
+		max = READ_ONCE(iter->ns->ucount_max[type]);
 		/*
 		 * Grab an extra ucount reference for the caller when
 		 * the rlimit count was previously 0.
@@ -333,15 +335,16 @@ unwind:
 	return 0;
 }
 
-bool is_ucounts_overlimit(struct ucounts *ucounts, enum ucount_type type, unsigned long max)
+bool is_ucounts_overlimit(struct ucounts *ucounts, enum ucount_type type, unsigned long rlimit)
 {
 	struct ucounts *iter;
-	if (get_ucounts_value(ucounts, type) > max)
-		return true;
+	long max = rlimit;
+	if (rlimit > LONG_MAX)
+		max = LONG_MAX;
 	for (iter = ucounts; iter; iter = iter->ns->ucounts) {
-		max = READ_ONCE(iter->ns->ucount_max[type]);
 		if (get_ucounts_value(iter, type) > max)
 			return true;
+		max = READ_ONCE(iter->ns->ucount_max[type]);
 	}
 	return false;
 }