diff --git a/arch/alpha/kernel/process.c b/arch/alpha/kernel/process.c
index d6fde98b74b38bf87aac592c2b9697c1bc925558..db56f31dbf707ca4f9a7deb708b8bf9c3de48cb6 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/kernel/process.c
+++ b/arch/alpha/kernel/process.c
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ cpu_idle(void)
 
 		while (!need_resched())
 			cpu_relax();
-		schedule();
+
+		schedule_preempt_disabled();
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/arch/alpha/kernel/smp.c b/arch/alpha/kernel/smp.c
index 35ddc02bfa4a46312359d456e36c365816ecf2a3..a41ad90a97a692b039a2e8dbee2f57aa4b1a3300 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/kernel/smp.c
+++ b/arch/alpha/kernel/smp.c
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ smp_callin(void)
 	DBGS(("smp_callin: commencing CPU %d current %p active_mm %p\n",
 	      cpuid, current, current->active_mm));
 
+	preempt_disable();
 	/* Do nothing.  */
 	cpu_idle();
 }