diff --git a/xen/common/spinlock.c b/xen/common/spinlock.c
index c8dc8ba3dc..29149d1537 100644
--- a/xen/common/spinlock.c
+++ b/xen/common/spinlock.c
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ static always_inline u16 observe_head(spinlock_tickets_t *t)
 
 void _spin_lock(spinlock_t *lock)
 {
-    spinlock_tickets_t tickets = { .tail = 1, };
+    spinlock_tickets_t tickets = SPINLOCK_TICKET_INC;
     LOCK_PROFILE_VAR;
 
     check_lock(&lock->debug);
diff --git a/xen/include/xen/spinlock.h b/xen/include/xen/spinlock.h
index 311685a011..9286543bea 100644
--- a/xen/include/xen/spinlock.h
+++ b/xen/include/xen/spinlock.h
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ typedef union {
     };
 } spinlock_tickets_t;
 
+#define SPINLOCK_TICKET_INC { .head_tail = 0x10000, }
+
 typedef struct spinlock {
     spinlock_tickets_t tickets;
     u16 recurse_cpu:12;