diff --git a/block/blk-iocost.c b/block/blk-iocost.c
index 772e909e9fbf..e270e64ba342 100644
--- a/block/blk-iocost.c
+++ b/block/blk-iocost.c
@@ -1082,7 +1082,14 @@ static void __propagate_weights(struct ioc_gq *iocg, u32 active, u32 inuse,
 		inuse = DIV64_U64_ROUND_UP(active * iocg->child_inuse_sum,
 					   iocg->child_active_sum);
 	} else {
-		inuse = clamp_t(u32, inuse, 1, active);
+		/*
+		 * It may be tempting to turn this into a clamp expression with
+		 * a lower limit of 1 but active may be 0, which cannot be used
+		 * as an upper limit in that situation. This expression allows
+		 * active to clamp inuse unless it is 0, in which case inuse
+		 * becomes 1.
+		 */
+		inuse = min(inuse, active) ?: 1;
 	}
 
 	iocg->last_inuse = iocg->inuse;