diff --git a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_bt.c b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_bt.c
index 1f9f0e47aeda..3368a2d15d73 100644
--- a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_bt.c
+++ b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_bt.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ static void kdb_show_stack(struct task_struct *p, void *addr)
  */

 static int
-kdb_bt1(struct task_struct *p, unsigned long mask, bool btaprompt)
+kdb_bt1(struct task_struct *p, const char *mask, bool btaprompt)
 {
 	char ch;

@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ kdb_bt_cpu(unsigned long cpu)
 		return;
 	}

-	kdb_bt1(kdb_tsk, ~0UL, false);
+	kdb_bt1(kdb_tsk, "A", false);
 }

 int
@@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ kdb_bt(int argc, const char **argv)
 	if (strcmp(argv[0], "bta") == 0) {
 		struct task_struct *g, *p;
 		unsigned long cpu;
-		unsigned long mask = kdb_task_state_string(argc ? argv[1] :
-							   NULL);
+		const char *mask = argc ? argv[1] : kdbgetenv("PS");
+
 		if (argc == 0)
 			kdb_ps_suppressed();
 		/* Run the active tasks first */
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ kdb_bt(int argc, const char **argv)
 			return diag;
 		p = find_task_by_pid_ns(pid, &init_pid_ns);
 		if (p)
-			return kdb_bt1(p, ~0UL, false);
+			return kdb_bt1(p, "A", false);
 		kdb_printf("No process with pid == %ld found\n", pid);
 		return 0;
 	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "btt") == 0) {
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ kdb_bt(int argc, const char **argv)
 		diag = kdbgetularg((char *)argv[1], &addr);
 		if (diag)
 			return diag;
-		return kdb_bt1((struct task_struct *)addr, ~0UL, false);
+		return kdb_bt1((struct task_struct *)addr, "A", false);
 	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "btc") == 0) {
 		unsigned long cpu = ~0;
 		if (argc > 1)
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ kdb_bt(int argc, const char **argv)
 			kdb_show_stack(kdb_current_task, (void *)addr);
 			return 0;
 		} else {
-			return kdb_bt1(kdb_current_task, ~0UL, false);
+			return kdb_bt1(kdb_current_task, "A", false);
 		}
 	}

diff --git a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_main.c b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_main.c
index fa6deda894a1..2c1abb86a06b 100644
--- a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_main.c
+++ b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_main.c
@@ -2203,8 +2203,8 @@ static void kdb_cpu_status(void)
 			state = 'D';	/* cpu is online but unresponsive */
 		} else {
 			state = ' ';	/* cpu is responding to kdb */
-			if (kdb_task_state_char(KDB_TSK(i)) == 'I')
-				state = 'I';	/* idle task */
+			if (kdb_task_state_char(KDB_TSK(i)) == '-')
+				state = '-';	/* idle task */
 		}
 		if (state != prev_state) {
 			if (prev_state != '?') {
@@ -2271,17 +2271,15 @@ static int kdb_cpu(int argc, const char **argv)
 void kdb_ps_suppressed(void)
 {
 	int idle = 0, daemon = 0;
-	unsigned long mask_I = kdb_task_state_string("I"),
-		      mask_M = kdb_task_state_string("M");
 	unsigned long cpu;
 	const struct task_struct *p, *g;
 	for_each_online_cpu(cpu) {
 		p = kdb_curr_task(cpu);
-		if (kdb_task_state(p, mask_I))
+		if (kdb_task_state(p, "-"))
 			++idle;
 	}
 	for_each_process_thread(g, p) {
-		if (kdb_task_state(p, mask_M))
+		if (kdb_task_state(p, "ims"))
 			++daemon;
 	}
 	if (idle || daemon) {
@@ -2297,11 +2295,6 @@ void kdb_ps_suppressed(void)
 	}
 }

-/*
- * kdb_ps - This function implements the 'ps' command which shows a
- *	list of the active processes.
- *		ps [DRSTCZEUIMA]   All processes, optionally filtered by state
- */
 void kdb_ps1(const struct task_struct *p)
 {
 	int cpu;
@@ -2330,17 +2323,25 @@ void kdb_ps1(const struct task_struct *p)
 	}
 }

+/*
+ * kdb_ps - This function implements the 'ps' command which shows a
+ *	    list of the active processes.
+ *
+ * ps [<state_chars>]   Show processes, optionally selecting only those whose
+ *                      state character is found in <state_chars>.
+ */
 static int kdb_ps(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
 	struct task_struct *g, *p;
-	unsigned long mask, cpu;
+	const char *mask;
+	unsigned long cpu;

 	if (argc == 0)
 		kdb_ps_suppressed();
 	kdb_printf("%-*s      Pid   Parent [*] cpu State %-*s Command\n",
 		(int)(2*sizeof(void *))+2, "Task Addr",
 		(int)(2*sizeof(void *))+2, "Thread");
-	mask = kdb_task_state_string(argc ? argv[1] : NULL);
+	mask = argc ? argv[1] : kdbgetenv("PS");
 	/* Run the active tasks first */
 	for_each_online_cpu(cpu) {
 		if (KDB_FLAG(CMD_INTERRUPT))
@@ -2742,8 +2743,8 @@ static kdbtab_t maintab[] = {
 	},
 	{	.name = "bta",
 		.func = kdb_bt,
-		.usage = "[D|R|S|T|C|Z|E|U|I|M|A]",
-		.help = "Backtrace all processes matching state flag",
+		.usage = "[<state_chars>|A]",
+		.help = "Backtrace all processes matching whose state matches",
 		.flags = KDB_ENABLE_INSPECT,
 	},
 	{	.name = "btc",
diff --git a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_private.h b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_private.h
index 629590084a0d..0d2f9feea0a4 100644
--- a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_private.h
+++ b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_private.h
@@ -190,10 +190,8 @@ extern char kdb_grep_string[];
 extern int kdb_grep_leading;
 extern int kdb_grep_trailing;
 extern char *kdb_cmds[];
-extern unsigned long kdb_task_state_string(const char *);
 extern char kdb_task_state_char (const struct task_struct *);
-extern unsigned long kdb_task_state(const struct task_struct *p,
-				    unsigned long mask);
+extern bool kdb_task_state(const struct task_struct *p, const char *mask);
 extern void kdb_ps_suppressed(void);
 extern void kdb_ps1(const struct task_struct *p);
 extern void kdb_send_sig(struct task_struct *p, int sig);
diff --git a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_support.c b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_support.c
index 7507d9a8dc6a..19f5c893580b 100644
--- a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_support.c
+++ b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_support.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <linux/uaccess.h>
 #include <linux/kdb.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
+#include <linux/ctype.h>
 #include "kdb_private.h"

 /*
@@ -473,82 +474,7 @@ int kdb_putword(unsigned long addr, unsigned long word, size_t size)
 	return diag;
 }

-/*
- * kdb_task_state_string - Convert a string containing any of the
- *	letters DRSTCZEUIMA to a mask for the process state field and
- *	return the value.  If no argument is supplied, return the mask
- *	that corresponds to environment variable PS, DRSTCZEU by
- *	default.
- * Inputs:
- *	s	String to convert
- * Returns:
- *	Mask for process state.
- * Notes:
- *	The mask folds data from several sources into a single long value, so
- *	be careful not to overlap the bits.  TASK_* bits are in the LSB,
- *	special cases like UNRUNNABLE are in the MSB.  As of 2.6.10-rc1 there
- *	is no overlap between TASK_* and EXIT_* but that may not always be
- *	true, so EXIT_* bits are shifted left 16 bits before being stored in
- *	the mask.
- */
-
-/* unrunnable is < 0 */
-#define UNRUNNABLE	(1UL << (8*sizeof(unsigned long) - 1))
-#define RUNNING		(1UL << (8*sizeof(unsigned long) - 2))
-#define IDLE		(1UL << (8*sizeof(unsigned long) - 3))
-#define DAEMON		(1UL << (8*sizeof(unsigned long) - 4))

-unsigned long kdb_task_state_string(const char *s)
-{
-	long res = 0;
-	if (!s) {
-		s = kdbgetenv("PS");
-		if (!s)
-			s = "DRSTCZEU";	/* default value for ps */
-	}
-	while (*s) {
-		switch (*s) {
-		case 'D':
-			res |= TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE;
-			break;
-		case 'R':
-			res |= RUNNING;
-			break;
-		case 'S':
-			res |= TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE;
-			break;
-		case 'T':
-			res |= TASK_STOPPED;
-			break;
-		case 'C':
-			res |= TASK_TRACED;
-			break;
-		case 'Z':
-			res |= EXIT_ZOMBIE << 16;
-			break;
-		case 'E':
-			res |= EXIT_DEAD << 16;
-			break;
-		case 'U':
-			res |= UNRUNNABLE;
-			break;
-		case 'I':
-			res |= IDLE;
-			break;
-		case 'M':
-			res |= DAEMON;
-			break;
-		case 'A':
-			res = ~0UL;
-			break;
-		default:
-			  kdb_func_printf("unknown flag '%c' ignored\n", *s);
-			  break;
-		}
-		++s;
-	}
-	return res;
-}

 /*
  * kdb_task_state_char - Return the character that represents the task state.
@@ -559,7 +485,6 @@ unsigned long kdb_task_state_string(const char *s)
  */
 char kdb_task_state_char (const struct task_struct *p)
 {
-	unsigned int p_state;
 	unsigned long tmp;
 	char state;
 	int cpu;
@@ -568,25 +493,17 @@ char kdb_task_state_char (const struct task_struct *p)
 	    copy_from_kernel_nofault(&tmp, (char *)p, sizeof(unsigned long)))
 		return 'E';

-	cpu = kdb_process_cpu(p);
-	p_state = READ_ONCE(p->__state);
-	state = (p_state == 0) ? 'R' :
-		(p_state < 0) ? 'U' :
-		(p_state & TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE) ? 'D' :
-		(p_state & TASK_STOPPED) ? 'T' :
-		(p_state & TASK_TRACED) ? 'C' :
-		(p->exit_state & EXIT_ZOMBIE) ? 'Z' :
-		(p->exit_state & EXIT_DEAD) ? 'E' :
-		(p_state & TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE) ? 'S' : '?';
+	state = task_state_to_char((struct task_struct *) p);
+
 	if (is_idle_task(p)) {
 		/* Idle task.  Is it really idle, apart from the kdb
 		 * interrupt? */
 		if (!kdb_task_has_cpu(p) || kgdb_info[cpu].irq_depth == 1) {
 			if (cpu != kdb_initial_cpu)
-				state = 'I';	/* idle task */
+				state = '-';	/* idle task */
 		}
-	} else if (!p->mm && state == 'S') {
-		state = 'M';	/* sleeping system daemon */
+	} else if (!p->mm && strchr("IMS", state)) {
+		state = tolower(state);		/* sleeping system daemon */
 	}
 	return state;
 }
@@ -596,14 +513,28 @@ char kdb_task_state_char (const struct task_struct *p)
  *	given by the mask.
  * Inputs:
  *	p	struct task for the process
- *	mask	mask from kdb_task_state_string to select processes
+ *	mask	set of characters used to select processes; both NULL
+ *	        and the empty string mean adopt a default filter, which
+ *	        is to suppress sleeping system daemons and the idle tasks
  * Returns:
  *	True if the process matches at least one criteria defined by the mask.
  */
-unsigned long kdb_task_state(const struct task_struct *p, unsigned long mask)
+bool kdb_task_state(const struct task_struct *p, const char *mask)
 {
-	char state[] = { kdb_task_state_char(p), '\0' };
-	return (mask & kdb_task_state_string(state)) != 0;
+	char state = kdb_task_state_char(p);
+
+	/* If there is no mask, then we will filter code that runs when the
+	 * scheduler is idling and any system daemons that are currently
+	 * sleeping.
+	 */
+	if (!mask || mask[0] == '\0')
+		return !strchr("-ims", state);
+
+	/* A is a special case that matches all states */
+	if (strchr(mask, 'A'))
+		return true;
+
+	return strchr(mask, state);
 }

 /* Maintain a small stack of kdb_flags to allow recursion without disturbing
