diff --git a/kernel/rcu/tree_stall.h b/kernel/rcu/tree_stall.h
index cf7ae51cba40..45b9856ccd2b 100644
--- a/kernel/rcu/tree_stall.h
+++ b/kernel/rcu/tree_stall.h
@@ -573,13 +573,13 @@ static void rcu_check_gp_kthread_starvation(void)
 
 	if (rcu_is_gp_kthread_starving(&j)) {
 		cpu = gpk ? task_cpu(gpk) : -1;
-		pr_err("%s kthread starved for %ld jiffies! g%ld f%#x %s(%d) ->state=%#x ->cpu=%d\n",
+		pr_err("%s kthread starved for %ld jiffies! g%ld f%#x %s(%d) ->state=%c ->cpu=%d\n",
 		       rcu_state.name, j,
 		       (long)rcu_seq_current(&rcu_state.gp_seq),
 		       data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_state.gp_flags)),
 		       gp_state_getname(rcu_state.gp_state),
 		       data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_state.gp_state)),
-		       gpk ? data_race(READ_ONCE(gpk->__state)) : ~0, cpu);
+		       gpk ? task_state_to_char(gpk) : '?', cpu);
 		if (gpk) {
 			struct rcu_data *rdp = per_cpu_ptr(&rcu_data, cpu);
 
@@ -616,12 +616,12 @@ static void rcu_check_gp_kthread_expired_fqs_timer(void)
 	    time_after(jiffies, jiffies_fqs + RCU_STALL_MIGHT_MIN) &&
 	    gpk && !READ_ONCE(gpk->on_rq)) {
 		cpu = task_cpu(gpk);
-		pr_err("%s kthread timer wakeup didn't happen for %ld jiffies! g%ld f%#x %s(%d) ->state=%#x\n",
+		pr_err("%s kthread timer wakeup didn't happen for %ld jiffies! g%ld f%#x %s(%d) ->state=%c\n",
 		       rcu_state.name, (jiffies - jiffies_fqs),
 		       (long)rcu_seq_current(&rcu_state.gp_seq),
 		       data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_state.gp_flags)), // Diagnostic read
 		       gp_state_getname(RCU_GP_WAIT_FQS), RCU_GP_WAIT_FQS,
-		       data_race(READ_ONCE(gpk->__state)));
+		       task_state_to_char(gpk));
 		pr_err("\tPossible timer handling issue on cpu=%d timer-softirq=%u\n",
 		       cpu, kstat_softirqs_cpu(TIMER_SOFTIRQ, cpu));
 	}
@@ -948,10 +948,10 @@ void show_rcu_gp_kthreads(void)
 	jr = j - data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_state.gp_req_activity));
 	js = j - data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_state.gp_start));
 	jw = j - data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_state.gp_wake_time));
-	pr_info("%s: wait state: %s(%d) ->state: %#x ->rt_priority %u delta ->gp_start %lu ->gp_activity %lu ->gp_req_activity %lu ->gp_wake_time %lu ->gp_wake_seq %ld ->gp_seq %ld ->gp_seq_needed %ld ->gp_max %lu ->gp_flags %#x\n",
+	pr_info("%s: wait state: %s(%d) ->state: %c ->rt_priority %u delta ->gp_start %lu ->gp_activity %lu ->gp_req_activity %lu ->gp_wake_time %lu ->gp_wake_seq %ld ->gp_seq %ld ->gp_seq_needed %ld ->gp_max %lu ->gp_flags %#x\n",
 		rcu_state.name, gp_state_getname(rcu_state.gp_state),
 		data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_state.gp_state)),
-		t ? data_race(READ_ONCE(t->__state)) : 0x1ffff, t ? t->rt_priority : 0xffU,
+		t ? task_state_to_char(t) : '?', t ? t->rt_priority : 0xffU,
 		js, ja, jr, jw, (long)data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_state.gp_wake_seq)),
 		(long)data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_state.gp_seq)),
 		(long)data_race(READ_ONCE(rcu_get_root()->gp_seq_needed)),