diff --git a/fs/kernfs/file.c b/fs/kernfs/file.c
index 6625061348c0..83c461bb7fc2 100644
--- a/fs/kernfs/file.c
+++ b/fs/kernfs/file.c
@@ -195,16 +195,22 @@ static ssize_t kernfs_file_direct_read(struct kernfs_open_file *of,
 				       loff_t *ppos)
 {
 	ssize_t len = min_t(size_t, count, PAGE_SIZE);
+	char buf_onstack[SZ_2K + 1] __aligned(sizeof(long));
 	const struct kernfs_ops *ops;
 	char *buf;
 
 	buf = of->prealloc_buf;
 	if (buf)
 		mutex_lock(&of->prealloc_mutex);
-	else
-		buf = kmalloc(len, GFP_KERNEL);
-	if (!buf)
-		return -ENOMEM;
+	else {
+		if (len < sizeof(buf_onstack)) {
+			buf = buf_onstack;
+		} else {
+			buf = kmalloc(len + 1, GFP_KERNEL);
+			if (!buf)
+				return -ENOMEM;
+		}
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * @of->mutex nests outside active ref and is used both to ensure that
@@ -240,7 +246,7 @@ static ssize_t kernfs_file_direct_read(struct kernfs_open_file *of,
  out_free:
 	if (buf == of->prealloc_buf)
 		mutex_unlock(&of->prealloc_mutex);
-	else
+	else if (buf != buf_onstack)
 		kfree(buf);
 	return len;
 }