diff --git a/kernel/cpu.c b/kernel/cpu.c
index 05c46ba..0e6353c 100644
--- a/kernel/cpu.c
+++ b/kernel/cpu.c
@@ -297,15 +297,18 @@
 	int ret, nr_calls = 0;
 	void *hcpu = (void *)(long)cpu;
 	unsigned long mod = tasks_frozen ? CPU_TASKS_FROZEN : 0;
+	struct task_struct *idle;
 
 	if (cpu_online(cpu) || !cpu_present(cpu))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	cpu_hotplug_begin();
 
-	ret = smpboot_prepare(cpu);
-	if (ret)
+	idle = idle_thread_get(cpu);
+	if (IS_ERR(idle)) {
+		ret = PTR_ERR(idle);
 		goto out;
+	}
 
 	ret = __cpu_notify(CPU_UP_PREPARE | mod, hcpu, -1, &nr_calls);
 	if (ret) {
@@ -316,7 +319,7 @@
 	}
 
 	/* Arch-specific enabling code. */
-	ret = __cpu_up(cpu, idle_thread_get(cpu));
+	ret = __cpu_up(cpu, idle);
 	if (ret != 0)
 		goto out_notify;
 	BUG_ON(!cpu_online(cpu));