diff --git a/mm/mm_init.c b/mm/mm_init.c
index 2a0e782a151d..d99af80ec752 100644
--- a/mm/mm_init.c
+++ b/mm/mm_init.c
@@ -2478,8 +2478,6 @@ void __init memblock_free_pages(unsigned long pfn, unsigned int order)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/* pages were reserved and not allocated */
-	clear_page_tag_ref(page);
 	__free_pages_core(page, order, MEMINIT_EARLY);
 }
 
diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c
index 31ba24411d36..2b2855300217 100644
--- a/mm/page_alloc.c
+++ b/mm/page_alloc.c
@@ -1616,6 +1616,9 @@ void __meminit __free_pages_core(struct page *page, unsigned int order,
 		atomic_long_add(nr_pages, &page_zone(page)->managed_pages);
 	}
 
+	/* pages were never allocated */
+	clear_page_tag_ref(page);
+
 	if (page_contains_unaccepted(page, order)) {
 		if (order == MAX_PAGE_ORDER && __free_unaccepted(page))
 			return;