diff --git a/arch/x86/mm/pat.c b/arch/x86/mm/pat.c
index 2610bd93c896871936caaa970abd414d039ff790..657438858e8358745484c828158634fba41a5b1c 100644
--- a/arch/x86/mm/pat.c
+++ b/arch/x86/mm/pat.c
@@ -563,6 +563,13 @@ int kernel_map_sync_memtype(u64 base, unsigned long size, unsigned long flags)
 	if (base > __pa(high_memory-1))
 		return 0;
 
+	/*
+	 * some areas in the middle of the kernel identity range
+	 * are not mapped, like the PCI space.
+	 */
+	if (!page_is_ram(base >> PAGE_SHIFT))
+		return 0;
+
 	id_sz = (__pa(high_memory-1) <= base + size) ?
 				__pa(high_memory) - base :
 				size;