diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext.c
index 423098966a29..177bbf31116d 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext.c
@@ -3251,9 +3251,10 @@ void scx_cgroup_cancel_attach(struct cgroup_taskset *tset)
 
 void scx_group_set_weight(struct task_group *tg, unsigned long weight)
 {
-	struct scx_sched *sch = scx_root;
+	struct scx_sched *sch;
 
 	percpu_down_read(&scx_cgroup_ops_rwsem);
+	sch = scx_root;
 
 	if (scx_cgroup_enabled && SCX_HAS_OP(sch, cgroup_set_weight) &&
 	    tg->scx.weight != weight)
@@ -3267,9 +3268,10 @@ void scx_group_set_weight(struct task_group *tg, unsigned long weight)
 
 void scx_group_set_idle(struct task_group *tg, bool idle)
 {
-	struct scx_sched *sch = scx_root;
+	struct scx_sched *sch;
 
 	percpu_down_read(&scx_cgroup_ops_rwsem);
+	sch = scx_root;
 
 	if (scx_cgroup_enabled && SCX_HAS_OP(sch, cgroup_set_idle))
 		SCX_CALL_OP(sch, SCX_KF_UNLOCKED, cgroup_set_idle, NULL,
@@ -3284,9 +3286,10 @@ void scx_group_set_idle(struct task_group *tg, bool idle)
 void scx_group_set_bandwidth(struct task_group *tg,
 			     u64 period_us, u64 quota_us, u64 burst_us)
 {
-	struct scx_sched *sch = scx_root;
+	struct scx_sched *sch;
 
 	percpu_down_read(&scx_cgroup_ops_rwsem);
+	sch = scx_root;
 
 	if (scx_cgroup_enabled && SCX_HAS_OP(sch, cgroup_set_bandwidth) &&
 	    (tg->scx.bw_period_us != period_us ||