diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
index 416758c8a3d4..a5934a317634 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -2133,6 +2133,11 @@ __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
 	p = dup_task_struct(current, node);
 	if (!p)
 		goto fork_out;
+	/*
+	 * Must run before the first fallible op, so error paths never
+	 * free the parent's ret_stack.
+	 */
+	ftrace_graph_init_task(p);
 	retval = copy_exec_state(clone_flags, p);
 	if (retval)
 		goto bad_fork_free;
@@ -2159,8 +2164,6 @@ __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
 	 */
 	p->clear_child_tid = (clone_flags & CLONE_CHILD_CLEARTID) ? args->child_tid : NULL;
 
-	ftrace_graph_init_task(p);
-
 	rt_mutex_init_task(p);
 	raw_spin_lock_init(&p->blocked_lock);