diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext.c
index c18e81e8ef51..9280381f8923 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext.c
@@ -4423,10 +4423,19 @@ static void scx_disable_workfn(struct kthread_work *work)
 	scx_bypass(false);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Claim the exit on @sch. The caller must ensure that the helper kthread work
+ * is kicked before the current task can be preempted. Once exit_kind is
+ * claimed, scx_error() can no longer trigger, so if the current task gets
+ * preempted and the BPF scheduler fails to schedule it back, the helper work
+ * will never be kicked and the whole system can wedge.
+ */
 static bool scx_claim_exit(struct scx_sched *sch, enum scx_exit_kind kind)
 {
 	int none = SCX_EXIT_NONE;
 
+	lockdep_assert_preemption_disabled();
+
 	if (!atomic_try_cmpxchg(&sch->exit_kind, &none, kind))
 		return false;
 
@@ -4449,6 +4458,7 @@ static void scx_disable(enum scx_exit_kind kind)
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	sch = rcu_dereference(scx_root);
 	if (sch) {
+		guard(preempt)();
 		scx_claim_exit(sch, kind);
 		kthread_queue_work(sch->helper, &sch->disable_work);
 	}
@@ -4771,6 +4781,8 @@ static bool scx_vexit(struct scx_sched *sch,
 {
 	struct scx_exit_info *ei = sch->exit_info;
 
+	guard(preempt)();
+
 	if (!scx_claim_exit(sch, kind))
 		return false;