diff --git a/docs/misc/xen-command-line.pandoc b/docs/misc/xen-command-line.pandoc
index 25c910b232..ec6e2a4357 100644
--- a/docs/misc/xen-command-line.pandoc
+++ b/docs/misc/xen-command-line.pandoc
@@ -1376,6 +1376,8 @@ This option is ignored in **pv-shim** mode.
 ### max_cstate (x86)
 > `= <integer>`
 
+Specify the deepest C-state CPUs are permitted to be placed in.
+
 ### max_gsi_irqs (x86)
 > `= <integer>`
 
diff --git a/tools/misc/xenpm.c b/tools/misc/xenpm.c
index 65aa4c9d42..7828cb9dca 100644
--- a/tools/misc/xenpm.c
+++ b/tools/misc/xenpm.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void show_help(void)
             " set-sched-smt           enable|disable enable/disable scheduler smt power saving\n"
             " set-vcpu-migration-delay      <num> set scheduler vcpu migration delay in us\n"
             " get-vcpu-migration-delay            get scheduler vcpu migration delay\n"
-            " set-max-cstate        <num>         set the C-State limitation (<num> >= 0)\n"
+            " set-max-cstate        <num>|'unlimited' set the C-State limitation (<num> >= 0)\n"
             " start [seconds]                     start collect Cx/Px statistics,\n"
             "                                     output after CTRL-C or SIGINT or several seconds.\n"
             " enable-turbo-mode     [cpuid]       enable Turbo Mode for processors that support it.\n"
@@ -194,7 +194,11 @@ static int show_max_cstate(xc_interface *xc_handle)
     if ( (ret = xc_get_cpuidle_max_cstate(xc_handle, &value)) )
         return ret;
 
-    printf("Max possible C-state: C%d\n\n", value);
+    if ( value < XEN_SYSCTL_CX_UNLIMITED )
+        printf("Max possible C-state: C%"PRIu32"\n\n", value);
+    else
+        printf("All C-states allowed\n\n");
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1117,18 +1121,24 @@ void get_vcpu_migration_delay_func(int argc, char *argv[])
 void set_max_cstate_func(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     int value;
+    char buf[12];
 
-    if ( argc != 1 || sscanf(argv[0], "%d", &value) != 1 || value < 0 )
+    if ( argc != 1 ||
+         (sscanf(argv[0], "%d", &value) == 1
+          ? value < 0
+          : (value = XEN_SYSCTL_CX_UNLIMITED, strcmp(argv[0], "unlimited"))) )
     {
-        fprintf(stderr, "Missing or invalid argument(s)\n");
+        fprintf(stderr, "Missing, excess, or invalid argument(s)\n");
         exit(EINVAL);
     }
 
+    snprintf(buf, ARRAY_SIZE(buf), "C%d", value);
+
     if ( !xc_set_cpuidle_max_cstate(xc_handle, (uint32_t)value) )
-        printf("set max_cstate to C%d succeeded\n", value);
+        printf("max C-state set to %s\n", value >= 0 ? buf : argv[0]);
     else
-        fprintf(stderr, "set max_cstate to C%d failed (%d - %s)\n",
-                value, errno, strerror(errno));
+        fprintf(stderr, "Failed to set max C-state to %s (%d - %s)\n",
+                value >= 0 ? buf : argv[0], errno, strerror(errno));
 }
 
 void enable_turbo_mode(int argc, char *argv[])
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/acpi/cpu_idle.c b/xen/arch/x86/acpi/cpu_idle.c
index 5931928d6f..6896cfa875 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/acpi/cpu_idle.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/acpi/cpu_idle.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ bool lapic_timer_init(void)
 }
 
 void (*__read_mostly pm_idle_save)(void);
-unsigned int max_cstate __read_mostly = ACPI_PROCESSOR_MAX_POWER - 1;
+unsigned int max_cstate __read_mostly = UINT_MAX;
 integer_param("max_cstate", max_cstate);
 static bool __read_mostly local_apic_timer_c2_ok;
 boolean_param("lapic_timer_c2_ok", local_apic_timer_c2_ok);
@@ -344,7 +344,10 @@ static void dump_cx(unsigned char key)
     unsigned int cpu;
 
     printk("'%c' pressed -> printing ACPI Cx structures\n", key);
-    printk("max cstate: C%u\n", max_cstate);
+    if ( max_cstate < UINT_MAX )
+        printk("max state: C%u\n", max_cstate);
+    else
+        printk("max state: unlimited\n");
     for_each_present_cpu ( cpu )
     {
         struct acpi_processor_power *power = processor_powers[cpu];
@@ -582,13 +585,19 @@ static void acpi_processor_idle(void)
     if ( max_cstate > 0 && power && !sched_has_urgent_vcpu() &&
          (next_state = cpuidle_current_governor->select(power)) > 0 )
     {
-        cx = &power->states[next_state];
-        if ( cx->type == ACPI_STATE_C3 && power->flags.bm_check &&
-             acpi_idle_bm_check() )
-            cx = power->safe_state;
-        if ( cx->idx > max_cstate )
-            cx = &power->states[max_cstate];
-        menu_get_trace_data(&exp, &pred);
+        do {
+            cx = &power->states[next_state];
+        } while ( cx->type > max_cstate && --next_state );
+        if ( next_state )
+        {
+            if ( cx->type == ACPI_STATE_C3 && power->flags.bm_check &&
+                 acpi_idle_bm_check() )
+                cx = power->safe_state;
+            if ( tb_init_done )
+                menu_get_trace_data(&exp, &pred);
+        }
+        else
+            cx = NULL;
     }
     if ( !cx )
     {
@@ -1396,12 +1405,12 @@ int pmstat_reset_cx_stat(uint32_t cpuid)
 
 void cpuidle_disable_deep_cstate(void)
 {
-    if ( max_cstate > 1 )
+    if ( max_cstate > ACPI_STATE_C1 )
     {
         if ( local_apic_timer_c2_ok )
-            max_cstate = 2;
+            max_cstate = ACPI_STATE_C2;
         else
-            max_cstate = 1;
+            max_cstate = ACPI_STATE_C1;
     }
 
     hpet_disable_legacy_broadcast();
@@ -1409,7 +1418,8 @@ void cpuidle_disable_deep_cstate(void)
 
 bool cpuidle_using_deep_cstate(void)
 {
-    return xen_cpuidle && max_cstate > (local_apic_timer_c2_ok ? 2 : 1);
+    return xen_cpuidle && max_cstate > (local_apic_timer_c2_ok ? ACPI_STATE_C2
+                                                               : ACPI_STATE_C1);
 }
 
 static int cpu_callback(
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/cpu/mwait-idle.c b/xen/arch/x86/cpu/mwait-idle.c
index 24b757b8c1..361de1bb35 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/cpu/mwait-idle.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/cpu/mwait-idle.c
@@ -731,7 +731,8 @@ static void mwait_idle(void)
 		} while (cx->type > max_cstate && --next_state);
 		if (!next_state)
 			cx = NULL;
-		menu_get_trace_data(&exp, &pred);
+		else if (tb_init_done)
+			menu_get_trace_data(&exp, &pred);
 	}
 	if (!cx) {
 		if (pm_idle_save)
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/time.c b/xen/arch/x86/time.c
index 9a6ea8ffcb..d8242295ef 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/time.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/time.c
@@ -2268,7 +2268,7 @@ static void dump_softtsc(unsigned char key)
     else if ( boot_cpu_has(X86_FEATURE_CONSTANT_TSC ) )
     {
         printk("TSC has constant rate, ");
-        if (max_cstate <= 2 && tsc_max_warp == 0)
+        if ( max_cstate <= ACPI_STATE_C2 && tsc_max_warp == 0 )
             printk("no deep Cstates, passed warp test, deemed reliable, ");
         else
             printk("deep Cstates possible, so not reliable, ");
diff --git a/xen/drivers/acpi/pmstat.c b/xen/drivers/acpi/pmstat.c
index bb80506ad6..392c9acb1c 100644
--- a/xen/drivers/acpi/pmstat.c
+++ b/xen/drivers/acpi/pmstat.c
@@ -451,6 +451,7 @@ int do_pm_op(struct xen_sysctl_pm_op *op)
 
     case XEN_SYSCTL_pm_op_get_max_cstate:
     {
+        BUILD_BUG_ON(XEN_SYSCTL_CX_UNLIMITED != UINT_MAX);
         op->u.get_max_cstate = acpi_get_cstate_limit();
         break;
     }
diff --git a/xen/include/public/sysctl.h b/xen/include/public/sysctl.h
index 46e1425da0..015756e1b7 100644
--- a/xen/include/public/sysctl.h
+++ b/xen/include/public/sysctl.h
@@ -370,6 +370,7 @@ struct xen_sysctl_pm_op {
         struct xen_set_cpufreq_para set_para;
         uint64_aligned_t get_avgfreq;
         uint32_t                    set_sched_opt_smt;
+#define XEN_SYSCTL_CX_UNLIMITED 0xffffffff
         uint32_t                    get_max_cstate;
         uint32_t                    set_max_cstate;
     } u;