diff --git a/arch/arm/include/asm/smp_plat.h b/arch/arm/include/asm/smp_plat.h
index 6462a721ebd4..a252c0bfacf5 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/asm/smp_plat.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/smp_plat.h
@@ -88,4 +88,7 @@ static inline u32 mpidr_hash_size(void)
 {
 	return 1 << mpidr_hash.bits;
 }
+
+extern int platform_can_cpu_hotplug(void);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/machine_kexec.c b/arch/arm/kernel/machine_kexec.c
index 4fb074c446bf..d7c82df69243 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/machine_kexec.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/machine_kexec.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <asm/mmu_context.h>
 #include <asm/cacheflush.h>
 #include <asm/mach-types.h>
+#include <asm/smp_plat.h>
 #include <asm/system_misc.h>
 
 extern const unsigned char relocate_new_kernel[];
@@ -38,6 +39,14 @@ int machine_kexec_prepare(struct kimage *image)
 	__be32 header;
 	int i, err;
 
+	/*
+	 * Validate that if the current HW supports SMP, then the SW supports
+	 * and implements CPU hotplug for the current HW. If not, we won't be
+	 * able to kexec reliably, so fail the prepare operation.
+	 */
+	if (num_possible_cpus() > 1 && !platform_can_cpu_hotplug())
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	/*
 	 * No segment at default ATAGs address. try to locate
 	 * a dtb using magic.
@@ -134,10 +143,13 @@ void machine_kexec(struct kimage *image)
 	unsigned long reboot_code_buffer_phys;
 	void *reboot_code_buffer;
 
-	if (num_online_cpus() > 1) {
-		pr_err("kexec: error: multiple CPUs still online\n");
-		return;
-	}
+	/*
+	 * This can only happen if machine_shutdown() failed to disable some
+	 * CPU, and that can only happen if the checks in
+	 * machine_kexec_prepare() were not correct. If this fails, we can't
+	 * reliably kexec anyway, so BUG_ON is appropriate.
+	 */
+	BUG_ON(num_online_cpus() > 1);
 
 	page_list = image->head & PAGE_MASK;
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/smp.c b/arch/arm/kernel/smp.c
index c2b4f8f0be9a..2dc19349eb19 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/smp.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/smp.c
@@ -145,6 +145,16 @@ int boot_secondary(unsigned int cpu, struct task_struct *idle)
 	return -ENOSYS;
 }
 
+int platform_can_cpu_hotplug(void)
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_HOTPLUG_CPU
+	if (smp_ops.cpu_kill)
+		return 1;
+#endif
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_HOTPLUG_CPU
 static void percpu_timer_stop(void);