diff --git a/kernel/cgroup.c b/kernel/cgroup.c
index 2ee9ec3051b2..688dd02af985 100644
--- a/kernel/cgroup.c
+++ b/kernel/cgroup.c
@@ -5221,6 +5221,11 @@ static struct cgroup_subsys_state *css_create(struct cgroup *cgrp,
 	return ERR_PTR(err);
 }
 
+/*
+ * The returned cgroup is fully initialized including its control mask, but
+ * it isn't associated with its kernfs_node and doesn't have the control
+ * mask applied.
+ */
 static struct cgroup *cgroup_create(struct cgroup *parent)
 {
 	struct cgroup_root *root = parent->root;
@@ -5288,11 +5293,6 @@ static struct cgroup *cgroup_create(struct cgroup *parent)
 
 	cgroup_propagate_control(cgrp);
 
-	/* @cgrp doesn't have dir yet so the following will only create csses */
-	ret = cgroup_apply_control_enable(cgrp);
-	if (ret)
-		goto out_destroy;
-
 	return cgrp;
 
 out_cancel_ref:
@@ -5300,9 +5300,6 @@ static struct cgroup *cgroup_create(struct cgroup *parent)
 out_free_cgrp:
 	kfree(cgrp);
 	return ERR_PTR(ret);
-out_destroy:
-	cgroup_destroy_locked(cgrp);
-	return ERR_PTR(ret);
 }
 
 static int cgroup_mkdir(struct kernfs_node *parent_kn, const char *name,