diff --git a/arch/powerpc/xmon/xmon.c b/arch/powerpc/xmon/xmon.c
index 16321ad9e70c04071869d43721f16316e52108e4..a89db1b3f66d789b978b970346fead5ae3fd768f 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/xmon/xmon.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/xmon/xmon.c
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ static int xmon_gate;
 #endif /* CONFIG_SMP */
 
 static unsigned long in_xmon __read_mostly = 0;
+static int xmon_on = IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_XMON_DEFAULT);
 
 static unsigned long adrs;
 static int size = 1;
@@ -3302,6 +3303,8 @@ static void sysrq_handle_xmon(int key)
 	/* ensure xmon is enabled */
 	xmon_init(1);
 	debugger(get_irq_regs());
+	if (!xmon_on)
+		xmon_init(0);
 }
 
 static struct sysrq_key_op sysrq_xmon_op = {
@@ -3318,7 +3321,7 @@ static int __init setup_xmon_sysrq(void)
 __initcall(setup_xmon_sysrq);
 #endif /* CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ */
 
-static int __initdata xmon_early, xmon_off;
+static int __initdata xmon_early;
 
 static int __init early_parse_xmon(char *p)
 {
@@ -3326,10 +3329,12 @@ static int __init early_parse_xmon(char *p)
 		/* just "xmon" is equivalent to "xmon=early" */
 		xmon_init(1);
 		xmon_early = 1;
-	} else if (strncmp(p, "on", 2) == 0)
+		xmon_on = 1;
+	} else if (strncmp(p, "on", 2) == 0) {
 		xmon_init(1);
-	else if (strncmp(p, "off", 3) == 0)
-		xmon_off = 1;
+		xmon_on = 1;
+	} else if (strncmp(p, "off", 3) == 0)
+		xmon_on = 0;
 	else if (strncmp(p, "nobt", 4) == 0)
 		xmon_no_auto_backtrace = 1;
 	else
@@ -3341,10 +3346,8 @@ early_param("xmon", early_parse_xmon);
 
 void __init xmon_setup(void)
 {
-#ifdef CONFIG_XMON_DEFAULT
-	if (!xmon_off)
+	if (xmon_on)
 		xmon_init(1);
-#endif
 	if (xmon_early)
 		debugger(NULL);
 }