diff --git a/Documentation/power/suspend-and-cpuhotplug.txt b/Documentation/power/suspend-and-cpuhotplug.txt
index 2850df3bf957b2460fbd22bb74af20161b613367..2fc909502db59d2f795ab5e9db92b98714e32dcf 100644
--- a/Documentation/power/suspend-and-cpuhotplug.txt
+++ b/Documentation/power/suspend-and-cpuhotplug.txt
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ More details follow:
                                         |
                                         v
                            Disable regular cpu hotplug
-                        by setting cpu_hotplug_disabled=1
+                        by increasing cpu_hotplug_disabled
                                         |
                                         v
                             Release cpu_add_remove_lock
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ Resuming back is likewise, with the counterparts being (in the order of
 execution during resume):
 * enable_nonboot_cpus() which involves:
    |  Acquire cpu_add_remove_lock
-   |  Reset cpu_hotplug_disabled to 0, thereby enabling regular cpu hotplug
+   |  Decrease cpu_hotplug_disabled, thereby enabling regular cpu hotplug
    |  Call _cpu_up() [for all those cpus in the frozen_cpus mask, in a loop]
    |  Release cpu_add_remove_lock
    v
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ after the entire cycle is complete (i.e., suspend + resume).
                            Acquire cpu_add_remove_lock
                                         |
                                         v
-                          If cpu_hotplug_disabled is 1
+                          If cpu_hotplug_disabled > 0
                                 return gracefully
                                         |
                                         |
diff --git a/kernel/cpu.c b/kernel/cpu.c
index 5644ec5582b93a600accc90c9211c618cd3735fb..0fca2ba961386d871d01d376c60d6b44f73160a4 100644
--- a/kernel/cpu.c
+++ b/kernel/cpu.c
@@ -191,14 +191,14 @@ void cpu_hotplug_done(void)
 void cpu_hotplug_disable(void)
 {
 	cpu_maps_update_begin();
-	cpu_hotplug_disabled = 1;
+	cpu_hotplug_disabled++;
 	cpu_maps_update_done();
 }
 
 void cpu_hotplug_enable(void)
 {
 	cpu_maps_update_begin();
-	cpu_hotplug_disabled = 0;
+	WARN_ON(--cpu_hotplug_disabled < 0);
 	cpu_maps_update_done();
 }
 
@@ -608,13 +608,18 @@ int disable_nonboot_cpus(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!error) {
+	if (!error)
 		BUG_ON(num_online_cpus() > 1);
-		/* Make sure the CPUs won't be enabled by someone else */
-		cpu_hotplug_disabled = 1;
-	} else {
+	else
 		pr_err("Non-boot CPUs are not disabled\n");
-	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Make sure the CPUs won't be enabled by someone else. We need to do
+	 * this even in case of failure as all disable_nonboot_cpus() users are
+	 * supposed to do enable_nonboot_cpus() on the failure path.
+	 */
+	cpu_hotplug_disabled++;
+
 	cpu_maps_update_done();
 	return error;
 }
@@ -633,7 +638,7 @@ void __ref enable_nonboot_cpus(void)
 
 	/* Allow everyone to use the CPU hotplug again */
 	cpu_maps_update_begin();
-	cpu_hotplug_disabled = 0;
+	WARN_ON(--cpu_hotplug_disabled < 0);
 	if (cpumask_empty(frozen_cpus))
 		goto out;