diff --git a/kernel/time/hrtimer.c b/kernel/time/hrtimer.c
index beab02d3ff1e..3bac94269a98 100644
--- a/kernel/time/hrtimer.c
+++ b/kernel/time/hrtimer.c
@@ -991,6 +991,15 @@ int hrtimer_try_to_cancel(struct hrtimer *timer)
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret = -1;
 
+	/*
+	 * Check lockless first. If the timer is not active (neither
+	 * enqueued nor running the callback, nothing to do here.  The
+	 * base lock does not serialize against a concurrent enqueue,
+	 * so we can avoid taking it.
+	 */
+	if (!hrtimer_active(timer))
+		return 0;
+
 	base = lock_hrtimer_base(timer, &flags);
 
 	if (!hrtimer_callback_running(timer))