diff --git a/mm/debug_vm_pgtable.c b/mm/debug_vm_pgtable.c
index 83cf07269f13..23dc3ee09561 100644
--- a/mm/debug_vm_pgtable.c
+++ b/mm/debug_vm_pgtable.c
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ static void __init pmd_huge_tests(struct pgtable_debug_args *args)
 	 * X86 defined pmd_set_huge() verifies that the given
 	 * PMD is not a populated non-leaf entry.
 	 */
-	WRITE_ONCE(*args->pmdp, __pmd(0));
+	pmd_clear(args->pmdp);
 	WARN_ON(!pmd_set_huge(args->pmdp, __pfn_to_phys(args->fixed_pmd_pfn), args->page_prot));
 	WARN_ON(!pmd_clear_huge(args->pmdp));
 	pmd = pmdp_get(args->pmdp);
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ static void __init pud_huge_tests(struct pgtable_debug_args *args)
 	 * X86 defined pud_set_huge() verifies that the given
 	 * PUD is not a populated non-leaf entry.
 	 */
-	WRITE_ONCE(*args->pudp, __pud(0));
+	pud_clear(args->pudp);
 	WARN_ON(!pud_set_huge(args->pudp, __pfn_to_phys(args->fixed_pud_pfn), args->page_prot));
 	WARN_ON(!pud_clear_huge(args->pudp));
 	pud = pudp_get(args->pudp);