diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/watchdog.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/watchdog.c
index f9b4c6352d24..c702a8981452 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/watchdog.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/watchdog.c
@@ -373,22 +373,21 @@ void watchdog_nmi_start(void)
 }
 
 /*
- * This runs after lockup_detector_init() which sets up watchdog_cpumask.
+ * Invoked from core watchdog init.
  */
-static int __init powerpc_watchdog_init(void)
+int __init watchdog_nmi_probe(void)
 {
 	int err;
 
-	watchdog_calc_timeouts();
-
-	err = cpuhp_setup_state(CPUHP_AP_ONLINE_DYN, "powerpc/watchdog:online",
-				start_wd_on_cpu, stop_wd_on_cpu);
-	if (err < 0)
+	err = cpuhp_setup_state_nocalls(CPUHP_AP_ONLINE_DYN,
+					"powerpc/watchdog:online",
+					start_wd_on_cpu, stop_wd_on_cpu);
+	if (err < 0) {
 		pr_warn("Watchdog could not be initialized");
-
+		return err;
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
-arch_initcall(powerpc_watchdog_init);
 
 static void handle_backtrace_ipi(struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
diff --git a/include/linux/nmi.h b/include/linux/nmi.h
index 0c9ed49fb21a..27e249ed7c5c 100644
--- a/include/linux/nmi.h
+++ b/include/linux/nmi.h
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ static inline int hardlockup_detector_perf_init(void) { return 0; }
 
 void watchdog_nmi_stop(void);
 void watchdog_nmi_start(void);
+int watchdog_nmi_probe(void);
 
 /**
  * touch_nmi_watchdog - restart NMI watchdog timeout.
diff --git a/kernel/watchdog.c b/kernel/watchdog.c
index fff90fe10007..5c6fb7cd9ae8 100644
--- a/kernel/watchdog.c
+++ b/kernel/watchdog.c
@@ -608,7 +608,6 @@ static inline int watchdog_park_threads(void) { return 0; }
 static inline void watchdog_unpark_threads(void) { }
 static inline int watchdog_enable_all_cpus(void) { return 0; }
 static inline void watchdog_disable_all_cpus(void) { }
-static inline void softlockup_init_threads(void) { }
 static void softlockup_reconfigure_threads(void)
 {
 	cpus_read_lock();
@@ -617,6 +616,10 @@ static void softlockup_reconfigure_threads(void)
 	watchdog_nmi_start();
 	cpus_read_unlock();
 }
+static inline void softlockup_init_threads(void)
+{
+	softlockup_reconfigure_threads();
+}
 #endif /* !CONFIG_SOFTLOCKUP_DETECTOR */
 
 static void __lockup_detector_cleanup(void)