diff --git a/arch/xtensa/include/asm/traps.h b/arch/xtensa/include/asm/traps.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..54f70440185e359c34daf6e4012104a93d4ca408
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/xtensa/include/asm/traps.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/*
+ * arch/xtensa/include/asm/traps.h
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU General Public
+ * License.  See the file "COPYING" in the main directory of this archive
+ * for more details.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 Tensilica Inc.
+ */
+#ifndef _XTENSA_TRAPS_H
+#define _XTENSA_TRAPS_H
+
+#include <asm/ptrace.h>
+
+/*
+ * handler must be either of the following:
+ *  void (*)(struct pt_regs *regs);
+ *  void (*)(struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned long exccause);
+ */
+extern void * __init trap_set_handler(int cause, void *handler);
+extern void do_unhandled(struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned long exccause);
+
+#endif /* _XTENSA_TRAPS_H */
diff --git a/arch/xtensa/kernel/traps.c b/arch/xtensa/kernel/traps.c
index 5caf2b64d43ac846c7a0c148166c54877dec8178..691a792b01d30adddcdc30f788e162c234b62d1d 100644
--- a/arch/xtensa/kernel/traps.c
+++ b/arch/xtensa/kernel/traps.c
@@ -293,6 +293,17 @@ do_debug(struct pt_regs *regs)
 }
 
 
+/* Set exception C handler - for temporary use when probing exceptions */
+
+void * __init trap_set_handler(int cause, void *handler)
+{
+	unsigned long *entry = &exc_table[EXC_TABLE_DEFAULT / 4 + cause];
+	void *previous = (void *)*entry;
+	*entry = (unsigned long)handler;
+	return previous;
+}
+
+
 /*
  * Initialize dispatch tables.
  *