diff --git a/arch/mips/kernel/genex.S b/arch/mips/kernel/genex.S
index fb6f73148df2f7c7459648ed110fcdde62145f2a..8882e5766f27ce5b7a8a57932b4b103b7a69eaa7 100644
--- a/arch/mips/kernel/genex.S
+++ b/arch/mips/kernel/genex.S
@@ -458,7 +458,11 @@ NESTED(nmi_handler, PT_SIZE, sp)
 	BUILD_HANDLER fpe fpe fpe silent		/* #15 */
 	BUILD_HANDLER mdmx mdmx sti silent		/* #22 */
 #ifdef 	CONFIG_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINTS
-	BUILD_HANDLER watch watch sti silent		/* #23 */
+	/*
+	 * For watch, interrupts will be enabled after the watch
+	 * registers are read.
+	 */
+	BUILD_HANDLER watch watch cli silent		/* #23 */
 #else
 	BUILD_HANDLER watch watch sti verbose		/* #23 */
 #endif
diff --git a/arch/mips/kernel/traps.c b/arch/mips/kernel/traps.c
index fa06460cbf2c7668218a0e16fed9d8c749e44a23..b2d7041341b8f5afa3e313302c21b90e34e5ea3d 100644
--- a/arch/mips/kernel/traps.c
+++ b/arch/mips/kernel/traps.c
@@ -944,6 +944,9 @@ asmlinkage void do_mdmx(struct pt_regs *regs)
 	force_sig(SIGILL, current);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Called with interrupts disabled.
+ */
 asmlinkage void do_watch(struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
 	u32 cause;
@@ -963,9 +966,12 @@ asmlinkage void do_watch(struct pt_regs *regs)
 	 */
 	if (test_tsk_thread_flag(current, TIF_LOAD_WATCH)) {
 		mips_read_watch_registers();
+		local_irq_enable();
 		force_sig(SIGTRAP, current);
-	} else
+	} else {
 		mips_clear_watch_registers();
+		local_irq_enable();
+	}
 }
 
 asmlinkage void do_mcheck(struct pt_regs *regs)