diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/apic_32.c b/arch/x86/kernel/apic_32.c
index 039a8d4aaf62..f88bd0d982b0 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/apic_32.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/apic_32.c
@@ -1454,8 +1454,6 @@ void disconnect_bsp_APIC(int virt_wire_setup)
 	}
 }
 
-unsigned int __cpuinitdata maxcpus = NR_CPUS;
-
 void __cpuinit generic_processor_info(int apicid, int version)
 {
 	int cpu;
@@ -1482,12 +1480,6 @@ void __cpuinit generic_processor_info(int apicid, int version)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (num_processors >= maxcpus) {
-		printk(KERN_WARNING "WARNING: maxcpus limit of %i reached."
-			" Processor ignored.\n", maxcpus);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	num_processors++;
 	cpus_complement(tmp_map, cpu_present_map);
 	cpu = first_cpu(tmp_map);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/apic_64.c b/arch/x86/kernel/apic_64.c
index 7f1f030da7ee..446c062e831c 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/apic_64.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/apic_64.c
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ static unsigned long apic_phys;
 
 unsigned long mp_lapic_addr;
 
-unsigned int __cpuinitdata maxcpus = NR_CPUS;
 /*
  * Get the LAPIC version
  */
@@ -1062,12 +1061,6 @@ void __cpuinit generic_processor_info(int apicid, int version)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (num_processors >= maxcpus) {
-		printk(KERN_WARNING "WARNING: maxcpus limit of %i reached."
-		       " Processor ignored.\n", maxcpus);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	num_processors++;
 	cpus_complement(tmp_map, cpu_present_map);
 	cpu = first_cpu(tmp_map);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c b/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
index 91055d7fc1b0..e25287e4a85f 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
@@ -1386,17 +1386,3 @@ void __cpu_die(unsigned int cpu)
 	BUG();
 }
 #endif
-
-/*
- * If the BIOS enumerates physical processors before logical,
- * maxcpus=N at enumeration-time can be used to disable HT.
- */
-static int __init parse_maxcpus(char *arg)
-{
-	extern unsigned int maxcpus;
-
-	if (arg)
-		maxcpus = simple_strtoul(arg, NULL, 0);
-	return 0;
-}
-early_param("maxcpus", parse_maxcpus);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/visws_quirks.c b/arch/x86/kernel/visws_quirks.c
index 41e01b145c48..594ef47f0a63 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/visws_quirks.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/visws_quirks.c
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ static int __init visws_get_smp_config(unsigned int early)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-extern unsigned int __cpuinitdata maxcpus;
-
 /*
  * The Visual Workstation is Intel MP compliant in the hardware
  * sense, but it doesn't have a BIOS(-configuration table).
@@ -244,8 +242,8 @@ static int __init visws_find_smp_config(unsigned int reserve)
 		ncpus = CO_CPU_MAX;
 	}
 
-	if (ncpus > maxcpus)
-		ncpus = maxcpus;
+	if (ncpus > setup_max_cpus)
+		ncpus = setup_max_cpus;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_LOCAL_APIC
 	smp_found_config = 1;