diff --git a/arch/mips/kernel/smp.c b/arch/mips/kernel/smp.c
index f5e0f4235746..90c71d800b59 100644
--- a/arch/mips/kernel/smp.c
+++ b/arch/mips/kernel/smp.c
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ void flush_tlb_one(unsigned long vaddr)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(flush_tlb_page);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(flush_tlb_one);
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_HOTPLUG_CPU
+#ifdef CONFIG_HOTPLUG_CORE_SYNC_DEAD
 void arch_cpuhp_cleanup_dead_cpu(unsigned int cpu)
 {
 	if (mp_ops->cleanup_dead_cpu)
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/head_64.S b/arch/x86/kernel/head_64.S
index 0438802031c3..9cd77d319555 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/head_64.S
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/head_64.S
@@ -290,8 +290,7 @@ SYM_INNER_LABEL(secondary_startup_64_no_verify, SYM_L_GLOBAL)
 
 	/*  APIC ID not found in the table. Drop the trampoline lock and bail. */
 	movq	trampoline_lock(%rip), %rax
-	lock
-	btrl	$0, (%rax)
+	movl	$0, (%rax)
 
 1:	cli
 	hlt
@@ -320,8 +319,7 @@ SYM_INNER_LABEL(secondary_startup_64_no_verify, SYM_L_GLOBAL)
 	movq	trampoline_lock(%rip), %rax
 	testq	%rax, %rax
 	jz	.Lsetup_gdt
-	lock
-	btrl	$0, (%rax)
+	movl	$0, (%rax)
 
 .Lsetup_gdt:
 	/*
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c b/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
index 5caf4897b507..660709e94823 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
@@ -161,31 +161,28 @@ static inline void smpboot_restore_warm_reset_vector(void)
 
 }
 
-/*
- * Report back to the Boot Processor during boot time or to the caller processor
- * during CPU online.
- */
-static void smp_callin(void)
+/* Run the next set of setup steps for the upcoming CPU */
+static void ap_starting(void)
 {
 	int cpuid = smp_processor_id();
 
 	/*
-	 * If waken up by an INIT in an 82489DX configuration the alive
-	 * synchronization guarantees we don't get here before an
-	 * INIT_deassert IPI reaches our local APIC, so it is now safe to
-	 * touch our local APIC.
+	 * If woken up by an INIT in an 82489DX configuration the alive
+	 * synchronization guarantees that the CPU does not reach this
+	 * point before an INIT_deassert IPI reaches the local APIC, so it
+	 * is now safe to touch the local APIC.
 	 *
 	 * Set up this CPU, first the APIC, which is probably redundant on
 	 * most boards.
 	 */
 	apic_ap_setup();
 
-	/* Save our processor parameters. */
+	/* Save the processor parameters. */
 	smp_store_cpu_info(cpuid);
 
 	/*
 	 * The topology information must be up to date before
-	 * calibrate_delay() and notify_cpu_starting().
+	 * notify_cpu_starting().
 	 */
 	set_cpu_sibling_map(cpuid);
 
@@ -197,7 +194,7 @@ static void smp_callin(void)
 
 	/*
 	 * This runs the AP through all the cpuhp states to its target
-	 * state (CPUHP_ONLINE in the case of serial bringup).
+	 * state CPUHP_ONLINE.
 	 */
 	notify_cpu_starting(cpuid);
 }
@@ -274,10 +271,7 @@ static void notrace start_secondary(void *unused)
 	rcu_cpu_starting(raw_smp_processor_id());
 	x86_cpuinit.early_percpu_clock_init();
 
-	smp_callin();
-
-	/* Otherwise gcc will move up smp_processor_id() before cpu_init() */
-	barrier();
+	ap_starting();
 
 	/* Check TSC synchronization with the control CPU. */
 	check_tsc_sync_target();
diff --git a/arch/x86/realmode/rm/trampoline_64.S b/arch/x86/realmode/rm/trampoline_64.S
index 2dfb1c400167..c6de4deec746 100644
--- a/arch/x86/realmode/rm/trampoline_64.S
+++ b/arch/x86/realmode/rm/trampoline_64.S
@@ -40,17 +40,13 @@
 .macro LOAD_REALMODE_ESP
 	/*
 	 * Make sure only one CPU fiddles with the realmode stack
-	 */
+	*/
 .Llock_rm\@:
-	btl	$0, tr_lock
-	jnc	2f
-	pause
-	jmp	.Llock_rm\@
+        lock btsl       $0, tr_lock
+        jnc             2f
+        pause
+        jmp             .Llock_rm\@
 2:
-	lock
-	btsl	$0, tr_lock
-	jc	.Llock_rm\@
-
 	# Setup stack
 	movl	$rm_stack_end, %esp
 .endm
diff --git a/kernel/cpu.c b/kernel/cpu.c
index 60b4093fae9e..005f863a3d2b 100644
--- a/kernel/cpu.c
+++ b/kernel/cpu.c
@@ -294,14 +294,14 @@ enum cpuhp_sync_state {
  * cpuhp_ap_update_sync_state - Update synchronization state during bringup/teardown
  * @state:	The synchronization state to set
  *
- * No synchronization point. Just update of the synchronization state.
+ * No synchronization point. Just update of the synchronization state, but implies
+ * a full barrier so that the AP changes are visible before the control CPU proceeds.
  */
 static inline void cpuhp_ap_update_sync_state(enum cpuhp_sync_state state)
 {
 	atomic_t *st = this_cpu_ptr(&cpuhp_state.ap_sync_state);
-	int sync = atomic_read(st);
 
-	while (!atomic_try_cmpxchg(st, &sync, state));
+	(void)atomic_xchg(st, state);
 }
 
 void __weak arch_cpuhp_sync_state_poll(void) { cpu_relax(); }
@@ -829,7 +829,11 @@ static int bringup_cpu(unsigned int cpu)
 	/*
 	 * Some architectures have to walk the irq descriptors to
 	 * setup the vector space for the cpu which comes online.
-	 * Prevent irq alloc/free across the bringup.
+	 *
+	 * Prevent irq alloc/free across the bringup by acquiring the
+	 * sparse irq lock. Hold it until the upcoming CPU completes the
+	 * startup in cpuhp_online_idle() which allows to avoid
+	 * intermediate synchronization points in the architecture code.
 	 */
 	irq_lock_sparse();
 
