diff --git a/arch/i386/kernel/io_apic.c b/arch/i386/kernel/io_apic.c
index 8191583032d0c7061d4adb6781d2ee3ca3a2d044..f23a17b3b8cf7ccde1c904acc8e4fe73c9794e51 100644
--- a/arch/i386/kernel/io_apic.c
+++ b/arch/i386/kernel/io_apic.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <linux/msi.h>
 #include <linux/htirq.h>
 #include <linux/freezer.h>
+#include <linux/kthread.h>
 
 #include <asm/io.h>
 #include <asm/smp.h>
@@ -661,8 +662,6 @@ static int balanced_irq(void *unused)
 	unsigned long prev_balance_time = jiffies;
 	long time_remaining = balanced_irq_interval;
 
-	daemonize("kirqd");
-	
 	/* push everything to CPU 0 to give us a starting point.  */
 	for (i = 0 ; i < NR_IRQS ; i++) {
 		irq_desc[i].pending_mask = cpumask_of_cpu(0);
@@ -722,10 +721,9 @@ static int __init balanced_irq_init(void)
 	}
 	
 	printk(KERN_INFO "Starting balanced_irq\n");
-	if (kernel_thread(balanced_irq, NULL, CLONE_KERNEL) >= 0) 
+	if (!IS_ERR(kthread_run(balanced_irq, NULL, "kirqd")))
 		return 0;
-	else 
-		printk(KERN_ERR "balanced_irq_init: failed to spawn balanced_irq");
+	printk(KERN_ERR "balanced_irq_init: failed to spawn balanced_irq");
 failed:
 	for_each_possible_cpu(i) {
 		kfree(irq_cpu_data[i].irq_delta);