diff --git a/include/linux/workqueue.h b/include/linux/workqueue.h
index 5f76001c4e6d..51dc9a727e5e 100644
--- a/include/linux/workqueue.h
+++ b/include/linux/workqueue.h
@@ -327,7 +327,6 @@ extern int schedule_delayed_work_on(int cpu, struct delayed_work *work,
 extern int schedule_on_each_cpu(work_func_t func);
 extern int keventd_up(void);
 
-extern void init_workqueues(void);
 int execute_in_process_context(work_func_t fn, struct execute_work *);
 
 extern int flush_work(struct work_struct *work);
diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 3bdb152f412f..5f2ec2cdd900 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 #include <linux/start_kernel.h>
 #include <linux/security.h>
 #include <linux/smp.h>
-#include <linux/workqueue.h>
 #include <linux/profile.h>
 #include <linux/rcupdate.h>
 #include <linux/moduleparam.h>
@@ -786,7 +785,6 @@ static void __init do_initcalls(void)
  */
 static void __init do_basic_setup(void)
 {
-	init_workqueues();
 	cpuset_init_smp();
 	usermodehelper_init();
 	init_tmpfs();
diff --git a/kernel/workqueue.c b/kernel/workqueue.c
index 1105c474073a..e2eb351d9152 100644
--- a/kernel/workqueue.c
+++ b/kernel/workqueue.c
@@ -3507,7 +3507,7 @@ out_unlock:
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_FREEZER */
 
-void __init init_workqueues(void)
+static int __init init_workqueues(void)
 {
 	unsigned int cpu;
 	int i;
@@ -3559,4 +3559,6 @@ void __init init_workqueues(void)
 	system_unbound_wq = alloc_workqueue("events_unbound", WQ_UNBOUND,
 					    WQ_UNBOUND_MAX_ACTIVE);
 	BUG_ON(!system_wq || !system_long_wq || !system_nrt_wq);
+	return 0;
 }
+early_initcall(init_workqueues);