diff --git a/fs/dquot.c b/fs/dquot.c
index dcc5a582e1f..3a995841de9 100644
--- a/fs/dquot.c
+++ b/fs/dquot.c
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ int vfs_quota_sync(struct super_block *sb, int type)
 		spin_lock(&dq_list_lock);
 		dirty = &dqopt->info[cnt].dqi_dirty_list;
 		while (!list_empty(dirty)) {
-			dquot = list_entry(dirty->next, struct dquot, dq_dirty);
+			dquot = list_first_entry(dirty, struct dquot, dq_dirty);
 			/* Dirty and inactive can be only bad dquot... */
 			if (!test_bit(DQ_ACTIVE_B, &dquot->dq_flags)) {
 				clear_dquot_dirty(dquot);
diff --git a/fs/eventpoll.c b/fs/eventpoll.c
index d0b86060cc1..b5c7ca58493 100644
--- a/fs/eventpoll.c
+++ b/fs/eventpoll.c
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ void eventpoll_release_file(struct file *file)
 	mutex_lock(&epmutex);
 
 	while (!list_empty(lsthead)) {
-		epi = list_entry(lsthead->next, struct epitem, fllink);
+		epi = list_first_entry(lsthead, struct epitem, fllink);
 
 		ep = epi->ep;
 		list_del_init(&epi->fllink);
@@ -1143,7 +1143,7 @@ static void ep_unregister_pollwait(struct eventpoll *ep, struct epitem *epi)
 
 	if (nwait) {
 		while (!list_empty(lsthead)) {
-			pwq = list_entry(lsthead->next, struct eppoll_entry, llink);
+			pwq = list_first_entry(lsthead, struct eppoll_entry, llink);
 
 			list_del_init(&pwq->llink);
 			remove_wait_queue(pwq->whead, &pwq->wait);
@@ -1359,7 +1359,7 @@ static int ep_send_events(struct eventpoll *ep, struct list_head *txlist,
 	 * read.
 	 */
 	for (eventcnt = 0; !list_empty(txlist) && eventcnt < maxevents;) {
-		epi = list_entry(txlist->next, struct epitem, rdllink);
+		epi = list_first_entry(txlist, struct epitem, rdllink);
 		prefetch(epi->rdllink.next);
 
 		/*
diff --git a/fs/inode.c b/fs/inode.c
index 81508b0a3a7..410f235c337 100644
--- a/fs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/inode.c
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ static void dispose_list(struct list_head *head)
 	while (!list_empty(head)) {
 		struct inode *inode;
 
-		inode = list_entry(head->next, struct inode, i_list);
+		inode = list_first_entry(head, struct inode, i_list);
 		list_del(&inode->i_list);
 
 		if (inode->i_data.nrpages)
diff --git a/fs/inotify.c b/fs/inotify.c
index f5099d86fd9..7457501b956 100644
--- a/fs/inotify.c
+++ b/fs/inotify.c
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ void inotify_destroy(struct inotify_handle *ih)
 			mutex_unlock(&ih->mutex);
 			break;
 		}
-		watch = list_entry(watches->next, struct inotify_watch, h_list);
+		watch = list_first_entry(watches, struct inotify_watch, h_list);
 		get_inotify_watch(watch);
 		mutex_unlock(&ih->mutex);
 
diff --git a/fs/namespace.c b/fs/namespace.c
index c5b88100d91..72bb1062bfe 100644
--- a/fs/namespace.c
+++ b/fs/namespace.c
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ void release_mounts(struct list_head *head)
 {
 	struct vfsmount *mnt;
 	while (!list_empty(head)) {
-		mnt = list_entry(head->next, struct vfsmount, mnt_hash);
+		mnt = list_first_entry(head, struct vfsmount, mnt_hash);
 		list_del_init(&mnt->mnt_hash);
 		if (mnt->mnt_parent != mnt) {
 			struct dentry *dentry;
@@ -1177,7 +1177,7 @@ static void expire_mount_list(struct list_head *graveyard, struct list_head *mou
 
 	while (!list_empty(graveyard)) {
 		LIST_HEAD(umounts);
-		mnt = list_entry(graveyard->next, struct vfsmount, mnt_expire);
+		mnt = list_first_entry(graveyard, struct vfsmount, mnt_expire);
 		list_del_init(&mnt->mnt_expire);
 
 		/* don't do anything if the namespace is dead - all the
diff --git a/fs/pnode.c b/fs/pnode.c
index 56aacead836..89940f243fc 100644
--- a/fs/pnode.c
+++ b/fs/pnode.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static int do_make_slave(struct vfsmount *mnt)
 	} else {
 		struct list_head *p = &mnt->mnt_slave_list;
 		while (!list_empty(p)) {
-                        slave_mnt = list_entry(p->next,
+                        slave_mnt = list_first_entry(p,
 					struct vfsmount, mnt_slave);
 			list_del_init(&slave_mnt->mnt_slave);
 			slave_mnt->mnt_master = NULL;
diff --git a/include/linux/list.h b/include/linux/list.h
index f9d71eab05e..9202703be2a 100644
--- a/include/linux/list.h
+++ b/include/linux/list.h
@@ -425,6 +425,17 @@ static inline void list_splice_init_rcu(struct list_head *list,
 #define list_entry(ptr, type, member) \
 	container_of(ptr, type, member)
 
+/**
+ * list_first_entry - get the first element from a list
+ * @ptr:	the list head to take the element from.
+ * @type:	the type of the struct this is embedded in.
+ * @member:	the name of the list_struct within the struct.
+ *
+ * Note, that list is expected to be not empty.
+ */
+#define list_first_entry(ptr, type, member) \
+	list_entry((ptr)->next, type, member)
+
 /**
  * list_for_each	-	iterate over a list
  * @pos:	the &struct list_head to use as a loop cursor.
diff --git a/kernel/posix-cpu-timers.c b/kernel/posix-cpu-timers.c
index 657f7769741..1de710e1837 100644
--- a/kernel/posix-cpu-timers.c
+++ b/kernel/posix-cpu-timers.c
@@ -971,7 +971,7 @@ static void check_thread_timers(struct task_struct *tsk,
 	maxfire = 20;
 	tsk->it_prof_expires = cputime_zero;
 	while (!list_empty(timers)) {
-		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_entry(timers->next,
+		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_first_entry(timers,
 						      struct cpu_timer_list,
 						      entry);
 		if (!--maxfire || cputime_lt(prof_ticks(tsk), t->expires.cpu)) {
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ static void check_thread_timers(struct task_struct *tsk,
 	maxfire = 20;
 	tsk->it_virt_expires = cputime_zero;
 	while (!list_empty(timers)) {
-		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_entry(timers->next,
+		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_first_entry(timers,
 						      struct cpu_timer_list,
 						      entry);
 		if (!--maxfire || cputime_lt(virt_ticks(tsk), t->expires.cpu)) {
@@ -1001,7 +1001,7 @@ static void check_thread_timers(struct task_struct *tsk,
 	maxfire = 20;
 	tsk->it_sched_expires = 0;
 	while (!list_empty(timers)) {
-		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_entry(timers->next,
+		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_first_entry(timers,
 						      struct cpu_timer_list,
 						      entry);
 		if (!--maxfire || tsk->sched_time < t->expires.sched) {
@@ -1057,7 +1057,7 @@ static void check_process_timers(struct task_struct *tsk,
 	maxfire = 20;
 	prof_expires = cputime_zero;
 	while (!list_empty(timers)) {
-		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_entry(timers->next,
+		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_first_entry(timers,
 						      struct cpu_timer_list,
 						      entry);
 		if (!--maxfire || cputime_lt(ptime, t->expires.cpu)) {
@@ -1072,7 +1072,7 @@ static void check_process_timers(struct task_struct *tsk,
 	maxfire = 20;
 	virt_expires = cputime_zero;
 	while (!list_empty(timers)) {
-		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_entry(timers->next,
+		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_first_entry(timers,
 						      struct cpu_timer_list,
 						      entry);
 		if (!--maxfire || cputime_lt(utime, t->expires.cpu)) {
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ static void check_process_timers(struct task_struct *tsk,
 	maxfire = 20;
 	sched_expires = 0;
 	while (!list_empty(timers)) {
-		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_entry(timers->next,
+		struct cpu_timer_list *t = list_first_entry(timers,
 						      struct cpu_timer_list,
 						      entry);
 		if (!--maxfire || sched_time < t->expires.sched) {
@@ -1400,7 +1400,7 @@ void set_process_cpu_timer(struct task_struct *tsk, unsigned int clock_idx,
 	 */
 	head = &tsk->signal->cpu_timers[clock_idx];
 	if (list_empty(head) ||
-	    cputime_ge(list_entry(head->next,
+	    cputime_ge(list_first_entry(head,
 				  struct cpu_timer_list, entry)->expires.cpu,
 		       *newval)) {
 		/*
diff --git a/kernel/timer.c b/kernel/timer.c
index ba41af2bb6c..7a6448340f9 100644
--- a/kernel/timer.c
+++ b/kernel/timer.c
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ static inline void __run_timers(tvec_base_t *base)
 			void (*fn)(unsigned long);
 			unsigned long data;
 
-			timer = list_entry(head->next,struct timer_list,entry);
+			timer = list_first_entry(head, struct timer_list,entry);
  			fn = timer->function;
  			data = timer->data;
 
@@ -1248,7 +1248,7 @@ static void migrate_timer_list(tvec_base_t *new_base, struct list_head *head)
 	struct timer_list *timer;
 
 	while (!list_empty(head)) {
-		timer = list_entry(head->next, struct timer_list, entry);
+		timer = list_first_entry(head, struct timer_list, entry);
 		detach_timer(timer, 0);
 		timer_set_base(timer, new_base);
 		internal_add_timer(new_base, timer);