diff --git a/include/linux/mmzone.h b/include/linux/mmzone.h
index a367ed5bb3fe..0fa491326c4a 100644
--- a/include/linux/mmzone.h
+++ b/include/linux/mmzone.h
@@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ typedef struct pglist_data {
 
 #include <linux/memory_hotplug.h>
 
+extern struct mutex zonelists_mutex;
 void get_zone_counts(unsigned long *active, unsigned long *inactive,
 			unsigned long *free);
 void build_all_zonelists(void *data);
diff --git a/kernel/cpu.c b/kernel/cpu.c
index 3e8b3ba27175..124ad9d6be16 100644
--- a/kernel/cpu.c
+++ b/kernel/cpu.c
@@ -357,8 +357,11 @@ int __cpuinit cpu_up(unsigned int cpu)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	if (pgdat->node_zonelists->_zonerefs->zone == NULL)
+	if (pgdat->node_zonelists->_zonerefs->zone == NULL) {
+		mutex_lock(&zonelists_mutex);
 		build_all_zonelists(NULL);
+		mutex_unlock(&zonelists_mutex);
+	}
 #endif
 
 	cpu_maps_update_begin();
diff --git a/mm/memory_hotplug.c b/mm/memory_hotplug.c
index 089cc97aed3c..a4cfcdc00455 100644
--- a/mm/memory_hotplug.c
+++ b/mm/memory_hotplug.c
@@ -389,11 +389,6 @@ int online_pages(unsigned long pfn, unsigned long nr_pages)
 	int nid;
 	int ret;
 	struct memory_notify arg;
-	/*
-	 * mutex to protect zone->pageset when it's still shared
-	 * in onlined_pages()
-	 */
-	static DEFINE_MUTEX(zone_pageset_mutex);
 
 	arg.start_pfn = pfn;
 	arg.nr_pages = nr_pages;
@@ -420,14 +415,14 @@ int online_pages(unsigned long pfn, unsigned long nr_pages)
 	 * This means the page allocator ignores this zone.
 	 * So, zonelist must be updated after online.
 	 */
-	mutex_lock(&zone_pageset_mutex);
+	mutex_lock(&zonelists_mutex);
 	if (!populated_zone(zone))
 		need_zonelists_rebuild = 1;
 
 	ret = walk_system_ram_range(pfn, nr_pages, &onlined_pages,
 		online_pages_range);
 	if (ret) {
-		mutex_unlock(&zone_pageset_mutex);
+		mutex_unlock(&zonelists_mutex);
 		printk(KERN_DEBUG "online_pages %lx at %lx failed\n",
 			nr_pages, pfn);
 		memory_notify(MEM_CANCEL_ONLINE, &arg);
@@ -441,7 +436,7 @@ int online_pages(unsigned long pfn, unsigned long nr_pages)
 	else
 		zone_pcp_update(zone);
 
-	mutex_unlock(&zone_pageset_mutex);
+	mutex_unlock(&zonelists_mutex);
 	setup_per_zone_wmarks();
 	calculate_zone_inactive_ratio(zone);
 	if (onlined_pages) {
diff --git a/mm/page_alloc.c b/mm/page_alloc.c
index 21c52d2d8624..08b349931ebc 100644
--- a/mm/page_alloc.c
+++ b/mm/page_alloc.c
@@ -2571,8 +2571,11 @@ int numa_zonelist_order_handler(ctl_table *table, int write,
 			strncpy((char*)table->data, saved_string,
 				NUMA_ZONELIST_ORDER_LEN);
 			user_zonelist_order = oldval;
-		} else if (oldval != user_zonelist_order)
+		} else if (oldval != user_zonelist_order) {
+			mutex_lock(&zonelists_mutex);
 			build_all_zonelists(NULL);
+			mutex_unlock(&zonelists_mutex);
+		}
 	}
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&zl_order_mutex);
@@ -2924,6 +2927,12 @@ static void setup_pageset(struct per_cpu_pageset *p, unsigned long batch);
 static DEFINE_PER_CPU(struct per_cpu_pageset, boot_pageset);
 static void setup_zone_pageset(struct zone *zone);
 
+/*
+ * Global mutex to protect against size modification of zonelists
+ * as well as to serialize pageset setup for the new populated zone.
+ */
+DEFINE_MUTEX(zonelists_mutex);
+
 /* return values int ....just for stop_machine() */
 static __init_refok int __build_all_zonelists(void *data)
 {
@@ -2967,6 +2976,10 @@ static __init_refok int __build_all_zonelists(void *data)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Called with zonelists_mutex held always
+ * unless system_state == SYSTEM_BOOTING.
+ */
 void build_all_zonelists(void *data)
 {
 	set_zonelist_order();