diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/domain.c b/xen/arch/x86/domain.c
index d2d9f2fc3c..ac960ddd40 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/domain.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/domain.c
@@ -100,14 +100,20 @@ void default_dead_idle(void)
      */
     spec_ctrl_enter_idle(get_cpu_info());
     wbinvd();
-    for ( ; ; )
-        halt();
+    halt();
+    spec_ctrl_exit_idle(get_cpu_info());
 }
 
-static void play_dead(void)
+void play_dead(void)
 {
+    unsigned int cpu = smp_processor_id();
+
     local_irq_disable();
 
+    /* Change the NMI handler to a nop (see comment below). */
+    _set_gate_lower(&idt_tables[cpu][TRAP_nmi], SYS_DESC_irq_gate, 0,
+                    &trap_nop);
+
     /*
      * NOTE: After cpu_exit_clear, per-cpu variables may no longer accessible,
      * as they may be freed at any time if offline CPUs don't get parked. In
@@ -118,9 +124,10 @@ static void play_dead(void)
      * Consider very carefully when adding code to *dead_idle. Most hypervisor
      * subsystems are unsafe to call.
      */
-    cpu_exit_clear(smp_processor_id());
+    cpu_exit_clear(cpu);
 
-    (*dead_idle)();
+    for ( ; ; )
+        dead_idle();
 }
 
 static void idle_loop(void)
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/smpboot.c b/xen/arch/x86/smpboot.c
index 4f65c8d52e..274865a705 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/smpboot.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/smpboot.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <xen/serial.h>
 #include <xen/numa.h>
 #include <xen/cpu.h>
+#include <asm/cpuidle.h>
 #include <asm/current.h>
 #include <asm/mc146818rtc.h>
 #include <asm/desc.h>
@@ -209,8 +210,7 @@ static void smp_callin(void)
     halt:
         clear_local_APIC();
         spin_debug_enable();
-        cpu_exit_clear(cpu);
-        (*dead_idle)();
+        play_dead();
     }
 
     /* Allow the master to continue. */
diff --git a/xen/include/asm-x86/cpuidle.h b/xen/include/asm-x86/cpuidle.h
index 08da01803f..488f708305 100644
--- a/xen/include/asm-x86/cpuidle.h
+++ b/xen/include/asm-x86/cpuidle.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ int mwait_idle_init(struct notifier_block *);
 int cpuidle_init_cpu(unsigned int cpu);
 void default_dead_idle(void);
 void acpi_dead_idle(void);
+void play_dead(void);
 void trace_exit_reason(u32 *irq_traced);
 void update_idle_stats(struct acpi_processor_power *,
                        struct acpi_processor_cx *, uint64_t, uint64_t);