diff --git a/kernel/sched_debug.c b/kernel/sched_debug.c
index 4293cfa9681..16eeba4e416 100644
--- a/kernel/sched_debug.c
+++ b/kernel/sched_debug.c
@@ -145,6 +145,19 @@ static void print_rq(struct seq_file *m, struct rq *rq, int rq_cpu)
 	read_unlock_irqrestore(&tasklist_lock, flags);
 }
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_CGROUP_SCHED) && \
+	(defined(CONFIG_FAIR_GROUP_SCHED) || defined(CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED))
+static void task_group_path(struct task_group *tg, char *buf, int buflen)
+{
+	/* may be NULL if the underlying cgroup isn't fully-created yet */
+	if (!tg->css.cgroup) {
+		buf[0] = '\0';
+		return;
+	}
+	cgroup_path(tg->css.cgroup, buf, buflen);
+}
+#endif
+
 void print_cfs_rq(struct seq_file *m, int cpu, struct cfs_rq *cfs_rq)
 {
 	s64 MIN_vruntime = -1, min_vruntime, max_vruntime = -1,
@@ -154,10 +167,10 @@ void print_cfs_rq(struct seq_file *m, int cpu, struct cfs_rq *cfs_rq)
 	unsigned long flags;
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_CGROUP_SCHED) && defined(CONFIG_FAIR_GROUP_SCHED)
-	char path[128] = "";
+	char path[128];
 	struct task_group *tg = cfs_rq->tg;
 
-	cgroup_path(tg->css.cgroup, path, sizeof(path));
+	task_group_path(tg, path, sizeof(path));
 
 	SEQ_printf(m, "\ncfs_rq[%d]:%s\n", cpu, path);
 #elif defined(CONFIG_USER_SCHED) && defined(CONFIG_FAIR_GROUP_SCHED)
@@ -208,10 +221,10 @@ void print_cfs_rq(struct seq_file *m, int cpu, struct cfs_rq *cfs_rq)
 void print_rt_rq(struct seq_file *m, int cpu, struct rt_rq *rt_rq)
 {
 #if defined(CONFIG_CGROUP_SCHED) && defined(CONFIG_RT_GROUP_SCHED)
-	char path[128] = "";
+	char path[128];
 	struct task_group *tg = rt_rq->tg;
 
-	cgroup_path(tg->css.cgroup, path, sizeof(path));
+	task_group_path(tg, path, sizeof(path));
 
 	SEQ_printf(m, "\nrt_rq[%d]:%s\n", cpu, path);
 #else