diff --git a/drivers/char/random.c b/drivers/char/random.c
index e247c45b2772f8..8757ed493b11e7 100644
--- a/drivers/char/random.c
+++ b/drivers/char/random.c
@@ -1783,7 +1783,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(get_random_bytes_arch);
  * data into the pool to prepare it for use. The pool is not cleared
  * as that can only decrease the entropy in the pool.
  */
-static void init_std_data(struct entropy_store *r)
+static void __init init_std_data(struct entropy_store *r)
 {
 	int i;
 	ktime_t now = ktime_get_real();
@@ -1810,7 +1810,7 @@ static void init_std_data(struct entropy_store *r)
  * take care not to overwrite the precious per platform data
  * we were given.
  */
-static int rand_initialize(void)
+int __init rand_initialize(void)
 {
 	init_std_data(&input_pool);
 	init_std_data(&blocking_pool);
@@ -1822,7 +1822,6 @@ static int rand_initialize(void)
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
-early_initcall(rand_initialize);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BLOCK
 void rand_initialize_disk(struct gendisk *disk)
diff --git a/include/linux/random.h b/include/linux/random.h
index 445a0ea4ff49a1..13aeaf5a4bd4e3 100644
--- a/include/linux/random.h
+++ b/include/linux/random.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ extern void add_interrupt_randomness(int irq, int irq_flags) __latent_entropy;
 
 extern void get_random_bytes(void *buf, int nbytes);
 extern int wait_for_random_bytes(void);
+extern int __init rand_initialize(void);
 extern bool rng_is_initialized(void);
 extern int add_random_ready_callback(struct random_ready_callback *rdy);
 extern void del_random_ready_callback(struct random_ready_callback *rdy);
diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 598e278b46f743..55243bc0a06710 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -564,13 +564,6 @@ asmlinkage __visible void __init start_kernel(void)
 	page_address_init();
 	pr_notice("%s", linux_banner);
 	setup_arch(&command_line);
-	/*
-	 * Set up the the initial canary and entropy after arch
-	 * and after adding latent and command line entropy.
-	 */
-	add_latent_entropy();
-	add_device_randomness(command_line, strlen(command_line));
-	boot_init_stack_canary();
 	mm_init_cpumask(&init_mm);
 	setup_command_line(command_line);
 	setup_nr_cpu_ids();
@@ -655,6 +648,20 @@ asmlinkage __visible void __init start_kernel(void)
 	hrtimers_init();
 	softirq_init();
 	timekeeping_init();
+
+	/*
+	 * For best initial stack canary entropy, prepare it after:
+	 * - setup_arch() for any UEFI RNG entropy and boot cmdline access
+	 * - timekeeping_init() for ktime entropy used in rand_initialize()
+	 * - rand_initialize() to get any arch-specific entropy like RDRAND
+	 * - add_latent_entropy() to get any latent entropy
+	 * - adding command line entropy
+	 */
+	rand_initialize();
+	add_latent_entropy();
+	add_device_randomness(command_line, strlen(command_line));
+	boot_init_stack_canary();
+
 	time_init();
 	printk_safe_init();
 	perf_event_init();