diff --git a/Documentation/memory-hotplug.txt b/Documentation/memory-hotplug.txt
index 670f3ded0802..5c628e19d6cd 100644
--- a/Documentation/memory-hotplug.txt
+++ b/Documentation/memory-hotplug.txt
@@ -282,20 +282,26 @@ offlined it is possible to change the individual block's state by writing to the
 % echo online > /sys/devices/system/memory/memoryXXX/state
 
 This onlining will not change the ZONE type of the target memory block,
-If the memory block is in ZONE_NORMAL, you can change it to ZONE_MOVABLE:
+If the memory block doesn't belong to any zone an appropriate kernel zone
+(usually ZONE_NORMAL) will be used unless movable_node kernel command line
+option is specified when ZONE_MOVABLE will be used.
+
+You can explicitly request to associate it with ZONE_MOVABLE by
 
 % echo online_movable > /sys/devices/system/memory/memoryXXX/state
 (NOTE: current limit: this memory block must be adjacent to ZONE_MOVABLE)
 
-And if the memory block is in ZONE_MOVABLE, you can change it to ZONE_NORMAL:
+Or you can explicitly request a kernel zone (usually ZONE_NORMAL) by:
 
 % echo online_kernel > /sys/devices/system/memory/memoryXXX/state
 (NOTE: current limit: this memory block must be adjacent to ZONE_NORMAL)
 
+An explicit zone onlining can fail (e.g. when the range is already within
+and existing and incompatible zone already).
+
 After this, memory block XXX's state will be 'online' and the amount of
 available memory will be increased.
 
-Currently, newly added memory is added as ZONE_NORMAL (for powerpc, ZONE_DMA).
 This may be changed in future.
 
 
diff --git a/mm/memory_hotplug.c b/mm/memory_hotplug.c
index 7b1311ac5f7b..32abde2e2472 100644
--- a/mm/memory_hotplug.c
+++ b/mm/memory_hotplug.c
@@ -934,6 +934,19 @@ struct zone *default_zone_for_pfn(int nid, unsigned long start_pfn,
 	return &pgdat->node_zones[ZONE_NORMAL];
 }
 
+static inline bool movable_pfn_range(int nid, struct zone *default_zone,
+		unsigned long start_pfn, unsigned long nr_pages)
+{
+	if (!allow_online_pfn_range(nid, start_pfn, nr_pages,
+				MMOP_ONLINE_KERNEL))
+		return true;
+
+	if (!movable_node_is_enabled())
+		return false;
+
+	return !zone_intersects(default_zone, start_pfn, nr_pages);
+}
+
 /*
  * Associates the given pfn range with the given node and the zone appropriate
  * for the given online type.
@@ -949,10 +962,10 @@ static struct zone * __meminit move_pfn_range(int online_type, int nid,
 		/*
 		 * MMOP_ONLINE_KEEP defaults to MMOP_ONLINE_KERNEL but use
 		 * movable zone if that is not possible (e.g. we are within
-		 * or past the existing movable zone)
+		 * or past the existing movable zone). movable_node overrides
+		 * this default and defaults to movable zone
 		 */
-		if (!allow_online_pfn_range(nid, start_pfn, nr_pages,
-					MMOP_ONLINE_KERNEL))
+		if (movable_pfn_range(nid, zone, start_pfn, nr_pages))
 			zone = movable_zone;
 	} else if (online_type == MMOP_ONLINE_MOVABLE) {
 		zone = &pgdat->node_zones[ZONE_MOVABLE];