diff --git a/include/linux/cpu.h b/include/linux/cpu.h
index d028721748d4..091badf0f6ba 100644
--- a/include/linux/cpu.h
+++ b/include/linux/cpu.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ enum {
 	/* migration should happen before other stuff but after perf */
 	CPU_PRI_PERF		= 20,
 	CPU_PRI_MIGRATION	= 10,
+	CPU_PRI_SMPBOOT		= 9,
 	/* bring up workqueues before normal notifiers and down after */
 	CPU_PRI_WORKQUEUE_UP	= 5,
 	CPU_PRI_WORKQUEUE_DOWN	= -5,
@@ -165,6 +166,7 @@ static inline void __unregister_cpu_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb)
 }
 #endif
 
+void smpboot_thread_init(void);
 int cpu_up(unsigned int cpu);
 void notify_cpu_starting(unsigned int cpu);
 extern void cpu_maps_update_begin(void);
diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 6f0f1c5ff8cc..a12548c93318 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -384,6 +384,7 @@ static noinline void __init_refok rest_init(void)
 	int pid;
 
 	rcu_scheduler_starting();
+	smpboot_thread_init();
 	/*
 	 * We need to spawn init first so that it obtains pid 1, however
 	 * the init task will end up wanting to create kthreads, which, if
diff --git a/kernel/cpu.c b/kernel/cpu.c
index d46b4dae0ca0..57858cebd6b5 100644
--- a/kernel/cpu.c
+++ b/kernel/cpu.c
@@ -448,6 +448,37 @@ out:
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(cpu_down);
 #endif /*CONFIG_HOTPLUG_CPU*/
 
+/*
+ * Unpark per-CPU smpboot kthreads at CPU-online time.
+ */
+static int smpboot_thread_call(struct notifier_block *nfb,
+			       unsigned long action, void *hcpu)
+{
+	int cpu = (long)hcpu;
+
+	switch (action & ~CPU_TASKS_FROZEN) {
+
+	case CPU_ONLINE:
+		smpboot_unpark_threads(cpu);
+		break;
+
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
+	return NOTIFY_OK;
+}
+
+static struct notifier_block smpboot_thread_notifier = {
+	.notifier_call = smpboot_thread_call,
+	.priority = CPU_PRI_SMPBOOT,
+};
+
+void __cpuinit smpboot_thread_init(void)
+{
+	register_cpu_notifier(&smpboot_thread_notifier);
+}
+
 /* Requires cpu_add_remove_lock to be held */
 static int _cpu_up(unsigned int cpu, int tasks_frozen)
 {
@@ -487,9 +518,6 @@ static int _cpu_up(unsigned int cpu, int tasks_frozen)
 		goto out_notify;
 	BUG_ON(!cpu_online(cpu));
 
-	/* Wake the per cpu threads */
-	smpboot_unpark_threads(cpu);
-
 	/* Now call notifier in preparation. */
 	cpu_notify(CPU_ONLINE | mod, hcpu);