diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
index adf5993fa597..83999203a63a 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
@@ -7516,22 +7516,24 @@ static void scx_root_enable_workfn(struct kthread_work *work)
 #ifdef CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED
 	cgroup_get(cgrp);
 #endif
+	/*
+	 * Transition to ENABLING to arm the disable path. Allocation failure
+	 * still unwinds locally. Full disabling on failure applies only after
+	 * scx_alloc_and_add_sched() succeeds.
+	 */
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(scx_set_enable_state(SCX_ENABLING) != SCX_DISABLED);
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(scx_root);
+
 	sch = scx_alloc_and_add_sched(cmd, cgrp, NULL);
 	if (IS_ERR(sch)) {
 		ret = PTR_ERR(sch);
+		WARN_ON_ONCE(scx_set_enable_state(SCX_DISABLED) != SCX_ENABLING);
 		goto err_free_tid_hash;
 	}
 
 	if (sch->is_cid_type)
 		static_branch_enable(&__scx_is_cid_type);
 
-	/*
-	 * Transition to ENABLING and clear exit info to arm the disable path.
-	 * Failure triggers full disabling from here on.
-	 */
-	WARN_ON_ONCE(scx_set_enable_state(SCX_ENABLING) != SCX_DISABLED);
-	WARN_ON_ONCE(scx_root);
-
 	atomic_long_set(&scx_nr_rejected, 0);
 
 	for_each_possible_cpu(cpu) {