diff --git a/kernel/sched/rt.c b/kernel/sched/rt.c
index f3c02a5fbb41b02be8b23600f9507eb1e60f68f0..07dd76ad73113b5d8081447bcbc18795466b768d 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/rt.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/rt.c
@@ -1780,6 +1780,16 @@ static struct rq *find_lock_lowest_rq(struct task_struct *task, struct rq *rq)
 
 		lowest_rq = cpu_rq(cpu);
 
+		if (lowest_rq->rt.highest_prio.curr <= task->prio) {
+			/*
+			 * Target rq has tasks of equal or higher priority,
+			 * retrying does not release any lock and is unlikely
+			 * to yield a different result.
+			 */
+			lowest_rq = NULL;
+			break;
+		}
+
 		/* if the prio of this runqueue changed, try again */
 		if (double_lock_balance(rq, lowest_rq)) {
 			/*