diff --git a/kernel/smpboot.c b/kernel/smpboot.c
index f032fb5284e3..40190f28db35 100644
--- a/kernel/smpboot.c
+++ b/kernel/smpboot.c
@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ int smpboot_register_percpu_thread(struct smp_hotplug_thread *plug_thread)
 	unsigned int cpu;
 	int ret = 0;
 
+	get_online_cpus();
 	mutex_lock(&smpboot_threads_lock);
 	for_each_online_cpu(cpu) {
 		ret = __smpboot_create_thread(plug_thread, cpu);
@@ -292,6 +293,7 @@ int smpboot_register_percpu_thread(struct smp_hotplug_thread *plug_thread)
 	list_add(&plug_thread->list, &hotplug_threads);
 out:
 	mutex_unlock(&smpboot_threads_lock);
+	put_online_cpus();
 	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(smpboot_register_percpu_thread);