diff --git a/drivers/base/memory.c b/drivers/base/memory.c
index 933442f40321..a7994409b9a5 100644
--- a/drivers/base/memory.c
+++ b/drivers/base/memory.c
@@ -468,6 +468,32 @@ static int add_memory_block(int nid, struct mem_section *section,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+struct memory_block *find_memory_block_hinted(struct mem_section *section,
+					      struct memory_block *hint)
+{
+	struct kobject *kobj;
+	struct sys_device *sysdev;
+	struct memory_block *mem;
+	char name[sizeof(MEMORY_CLASS_NAME) + 9 + 1];
+
+	kobj = hint ? &hint->sysdev.kobj : NULL;
+
+	/*
+	 * This only works because we know that section == sysdev->id
+	 * slightly redundant with sysdev_register()
+	 */
+	sprintf(&name[0], "%s%d", MEMORY_CLASS_NAME, __section_nr(section));
+
+	kobj = kset_find_obj_hinted(&memory_sysdev_class.kset, name, kobj);
+	if (!kobj)
+		return NULL;
+
+	sysdev = container_of(kobj, struct sys_device, kobj);
+	mem = container_of(sysdev, struct memory_block, sysdev);
+
+	return mem;
+}
+
 /*
  * For now, we have a linear search to go find the appropriate
  * memory_block corresponding to a particular phys_index. If
@@ -478,25 +504,7 @@ static int add_memory_block(int nid, struct mem_section *section,
  */
 struct memory_block *find_memory_block(struct mem_section *section)
 {
-	struct kobject *kobj;
-	struct sys_device *sysdev;
-	struct memory_block *mem;
-	char name[sizeof(MEMORY_CLASS_NAME) + 9 + 1];
-
-	/*
-	 * This only works because we know that section == sysdev->id
-	 * slightly redundant with sysdev_register()
-	 */
-	sprintf(&name[0], "%s%d", MEMORY_CLASS_NAME, __section_nr(section));
-
-	kobj = kset_find_obj(&memory_sysdev_class.kset, name);
-	if (!kobj)
-		return NULL;
-
-	sysdev = container_of(kobj, struct sys_device, kobj);
-	mem = container_of(sysdev, struct memory_block, sysdev);
-
-	return mem;
+	return find_memory_block_hinted(section, NULL);
 }
 
 int remove_memory_block(unsigned long node_id, struct mem_section *section,
diff --git a/include/linux/memory.h b/include/linux/memory.h
index 85582e1bcee9..c4f3127dbd48 100644
--- a/include/linux/memory.h
+++ b/include/linux/memory.h
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ extern int memory_dev_init(void);
 extern int remove_memory_block(unsigned long, struct mem_section *, int);
 extern int memory_notify(unsigned long val, void *v);
 extern int memory_isolate_notify(unsigned long val, void *v);
+extern struct memory_block *find_memory_block_hinted(struct mem_section *,
+							struct memory_block *);
 extern struct memory_block *find_memory_block(struct mem_section *);
 #define CONFIG_MEM_BLOCK_SIZE	(PAGES_PER_SECTION<<PAGE_SHIFT)
 enum mem_add_context { BOOT, HOTPLUG };