diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
index dd2f79ac0771..e4b81913a998 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -1411,8 +1411,6 @@ static struct task_struct *copy_process(unsigned long clone_flags,
 
 	posix_cpu_timers_init(p);
 
-	p->start_time = ktime_get_ns();
-	p->real_start_time = ktime_get_boot_ns();
 	p->io_context = NULL;
 	p->audit_context = NULL;
 	cgroup_fork(p);
@@ -1572,6 +1570,17 @@ static struct task_struct *copy_process(unsigned long clone_flags,
 	if (retval)
 		goto bad_fork_free_pid;
 
+	/*
+	 * From this point on we must avoid any synchronous user-space
+	 * communication until we take the tasklist-lock. In particular, we do
+	 * not want user-space to be able to predict the process start-time by
+	 * stalling fork(2) after we recorded the start_time but before it is
+	 * visible to the system.
+	 */
+
+	p->start_time = ktime_get_ns();
+	p->real_start_time = ktime_get_boot_ns();
+
 	/*
 	 * Make it visible to the rest of the system, but dont wake it up yet.
 	 * Need tasklist lock for parent etc handling!