diff --git a/include/linux/mm.h b/include/linux/mm.h
index af2904aeb163..bf660d5b6e97 100644
--- a/include/linux/mm.h
+++ b/include/linux/mm.h
@@ -532,28 +532,27 @@ extern unsigned int kobjsize(const void *objp);
  * possesses it but the other does not, the merged VMA should nonetheless have
  * applied to it:
  *
+ *   VM_SOFTDIRTY - if a VMA is marked soft-dirty, that is has not had its
+ *                  references cleared via /proc/$pid/clear_refs, any merged VMA
+ *                  should be considered soft-dirty also as it operates at a VMA
+ *                  granularity.
+ *
  * VM_MAYBE_GUARD - If a VMA may have guard regions in place it implies that
  *                  mapped page tables may contain metadata not described by the
  *                  VMA and thus any merged VMA may also contain this metadata,
  *                  and thus we must make this flag sticky.
  */
-#define VM_STICKY VM_MAYBE_GUARD
+#define VM_STICKY (VM_SOFTDIRTY | VM_MAYBE_GUARD)
 
 /*
  * VMA flags we ignore for the purposes of merge, i.e. one VMA possessing one
  * of these flags and the other not does not preclude a merge.
  *
- * VM_SOFTDIRTY - Should not prevent from VMA merging, if we match the flags but
- *                dirty bit -- the caller should mark merged VMA as dirty. If
- *                dirty bit won't be excluded from comparison, we increase
- *                pressure on the memory system forcing the kernel to generate
- *                new VMAs when old one could be extended instead.
- *
  *    VM_STICKY - When merging VMAs, VMA flags must match, unless they are
  *                'sticky'. If any sticky flags exist in either VMA, we simply
  *                set all of them on the merged VMA.
  */
-#define VM_IGNORE_MERGE (VM_SOFTDIRTY | VM_STICKY)
+#define VM_IGNORE_MERGE VM_STICKY
 
 /*
  * Flags which should result in page tables being copied on fork. These are
diff --git a/tools/testing/vma/vma_internal.h b/tools/testing/vma/vma_internal.h
index 73a899ba2686..81b501f51948 100644
--- a/tools/testing/vma/vma_internal.h
+++ b/tools/testing/vma/vma_internal.h
@@ -122,28 +122,22 @@ extern unsigned long dac_mmap_min_addr;
  * possesses it but the other does not, the merged VMA should nonetheless have
  * applied to it:
  *
- * VM_MAYBE_GUARD - If a VMA may have guard regions in place it implies that
- *                  mapped page tables may contain metadata not described by the
- *                  VMA and thus any merged VMA may also contain this metadata,
- *                  and thus we must make this flag sticky.
+ *   VM_SOFTDIRTY - if a VMA is marked soft-dirty, that is has not had its
+ *                  references cleared via /proc/$pid/clear_refs, any merged VMA
+ *                  should be considered soft-dirty also as it operates at a VMA
+ *                  granularity.
  */
-#define VM_STICKY VM_MAYBE_GUARD
+#define VM_STICKY (VM_SOFTDIRTY | VM_MAYBE_GUARD)
 
 /*
  * VMA flags we ignore for the purposes of merge, i.e. one VMA possessing one
  * of these flags and the other not does not preclude a merge.
  *
- * VM_SOFTDIRTY - Should not prevent from VMA merging, if we match the flags but
- *                dirty bit -- the caller should mark merged VMA as dirty. If
- *                dirty bit won't be excluded from comparison, we increase
- *                pressure on the memory system forcing the kernel to generate
- *                new VMAs when old one could be extended instead.
- *
  *    VM_STICKY - When merging VMAs, VMA flags must match, unless they are
  *                'sticky'. If any sticky flags exist in either VMA, we simply
  *                set all of them on the merged VMA.
  */
-#define VM_IGNORE_MERGE (VM_SOFTDIRTY | VM_STICKY)
+#define VM_IGNORE_MERGE VM_STICKY
 
 /*
  * Flags which should result in page tables being copied on fork. These are