diff --git a/include/linux/workqueue.h b/include/linux/workqueue.h
index c102ef65cb64a9..db6dc9dc0482bf 100644
--- a/include/linux/workqueue.h
+++ b/include/linux/workqueue.h
@@ -323,6 +323,7 @@ enum {
 
 	__WQ_DRAINING		= 1 << 16, /* internal: workqueue is draining */
 	__WQ_ORDERED		= 1 << 17, /* internal: workqueue is ordered */
+	__WQ_ORDERED_EXPLICIT	= 1 << 18, /* internal: alloc_ordered_workqueue() */
 	__WQ_LEGACY		= 1 << 18, /* internal: create*_workqueue() */
 
 	WQ_MAX_ACTIVE		= 512,	  /* I like 512, better ideas? */
@@ -422,7 +423,8 @@ __alloc_workqueue_key(const char *fmt, unsigned int flags, int max_active,
  * Pointer to the allocated workqueue on success, %NULL on failure.
  */
 #define alloc_ordered_workqueue(fmt, flags, args...)			\
-	alloc_workqueue(fmt, WQ_UNBOUND | __WQ_ORDERED | (flags), 1, ##args)
+	alloc_workqueue(fmt, WQ_UNBOUND | __WQ_ORDERED |		\
+			__WQ_ORDERED_EXPLICIT | (flags), 1, ##args)
 
 #define create_workqueue(name)						\
 	alloc_workqueue("%s", __WQ_LEGACY | WQ_MEM_RECLAIM, 1, (name))
diff --git a/kernel/workqueue.c b/kernel/workqueue.c
index abe4a4971c246d..7146ea70a62d12 100644
--- a/kernel/workqueue.c
+++ b/kernel/workqueue.c
@@ -3744,8 +3744,12 @@ static int apply_workqueue_attrs_locked(struct workqueue_struct *wq,
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	/* creating multiple pwqs breaks ordering guarantee */
-	if (WARN_ON((wq->flags & __WQ_ORDERED) && !list_empty(&wq->pwqs)))
-		return -EINVAL;
+	if (!list_empty(&wq->pwqs)) {
+		if (WARN_ON(wq->flags & __WQ_ORDERED_EXPLICIT))
+			return -EINVAL;
+
+		wq->flags &= ~__WQ_ORDERED;
+	}
 
 	ctx = apply_wqattrs_prepare(wq, attrs);
 	if (!ctx)
@@ -4129,13 +4133,14 @@ void workqueue_set_max_active(struct workqueue_struct *wq, int max_active)
 	struct pool_workqueue *pwq;
 
 	/* disallow meddling with max_active for ordered workqueues */
-	if (WARN_ON(wq->flags & __WQ_ORDERED))
+	if (WARN_ON(wq->flags & __WQ_ORDERED_EXPLICIT))
 		return;
 
 	max_active = wq_clamp_max_active(max_active, wq->flags, wq->name);
 
 	mutex_lock(&wq->mutex);
 
+	wq->flags &= ~__WQ_ORDERED;
 	wq->saved_max_active = max_active;
 
 	for_each_pwq(pwq, wq)
@@ -5263,7 +5268,7 @@ int workqueue_sysfs_register(struct workqueue_struct *wq)
 	 * attributes breaks ordering guarantee.  Disallow exposing ordered
 	 * workqueues.
 	 */
-	if (WARN_ON(wq->flags & __WQ_ORDERED))
+	if (WARN_ON(wq->flags & __WQ_ORDERED_EXPLICIT))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	wq->wq_dev = wq_dev = kzalloc(sizeof(*wq_dev), GFP_KERNEL);