diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c
index fc54ef10107bd2bfbb023bf61b6b16861a4560d0..eb79d2af9de6061aade5d7f6d36f990305b7e5bc 100644
--- a/mm/page_alloc.c
+++ b/mm/page_alloc.c
@@ -94,6 +94,18 @@ typedef int __bitwise fpi_t;
  */
 #define FPI_SKIP_REPORT_NOTIFY	((__force fpi_t)BIT(0))
 
+/*
+ * Place the (possibly merged) page to the tail of the freelist. Will ignore
+ * page shuffling (relevant code - e.g., memory onlining - is expected to
+ * shuffle the whole zone).
+ *
+ * Note: No code should rely on this flag for correctness - it's purely
+ *       to allow for optimizations when handing back either fresh pages
+ *       (memory onlining) or untouched pages (page isolation, free page
+ *       reporting).
+ */
+#define FPI_TO_TAIL		((__force fpi_t)BIT(1))
+
 /* prevent >1 _updater_ of zone percpu pageset ->high and ->batch fields */
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(pcp_batch_high_lock);
 #define MIN_PERCPU_PAGELIST_FRACTION	(8)
@@ -1044,7 +1056,9 @@ static inline void __free_one_page(struct page *page,
 done_merging:
 	set_page_order(page, order);
 
-	if (is_shuffle_order(order))
+	if (fpi_flags & FPI_TO_TAIL)
+		to_tail = true;
+	else if (is_shuffle_order(order))
 		to_tail = shuffle_pick_tail();
 	else
 		to_tail = buddy_merge_likely(pfn, buddy_pfn, page, order);
@@ -3306,7 +3320,7 @@ void __putback_isolated_page(struct page *page, unsigned int order, int mt)
 
 	/* Return isolated page to tail of freelist. */
 	__free_one_page(page, page_to_pfn(page), zone, order, mt,
-			FPI_SKIP_REPORT_NOTIFY);
+			FPI_SKIP_REPORT_NOTIFY | FPI_TO_TAIL);
 }
 
 /*