diff --git a/arch/i386/kernel/signal.c b/arch/i386/kernel/signal.c
index 7bcda6d69d87..61eb0c8a6e47 100644
--- a/arch/i386/kernel/signal.c
+++ b/arch/i386/kernel/signal.c
@@ -604,7 +604,9 @@ int fastcall do_signal(struct pt_regs *regs, sigset_t *oldset)
 	 * We want the common case to go fast, which
 	 * is why we may in certain cases get here from
 	 * kernel mode. Just return without doing anything
-	 * if so.
+ 	 * if so.  vm86 regs switched out by assembly code
+ 	 * before reaching here, so testing against kernel
+ 	 * CS suffices.
 	 */
 	if (!user_mode(regs))
 		return 1;
diff --git a/arch/i386/kernel/traps.c b/arch/i386/kernel/traps.c
index 1144df0c48d6..b2b4bb890bb7 100644
--- a/arch/i386/kernel/traps.c
+++ b/arch/i386/kernel/traps.c
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ void show_registers(struct pt_regs *regs)
 	unsigned short ss;
 
 	esp = (unsigned long) (&regs->esp);
-	ss = __KERNEL_DS;
+	savesegment(ss, ss);
 	if (user_mode(regs)) {
 		in_kernel = 0;
 		esp = regs->esp;
@@ -267,9 +267,6 @@ static void handle_BUG(struct pt_regs *regs)
 	char c;
 	unsigned long eip;
 
-	if (user_mode(regs))
-		goto no_bug;		/* Not in kernel */
-
 	eip = regs->eip;
 
 	if (eip < PAGE_OFFSET)
diff --git a/include/asm-i386/ptrace.h b/include/asm-i386/ptrace.h
index 05532875e39e..7e0f2945d17d 100644
--- a/include/asm-i386/ptrace.h
+++ b/include/asm-i386/ptrace.h
@@ -61,6 +61,13 @@ struct pt_regs {
 struct task_struct;
 extern void send_sigtrap(struct task_struct *tsk, struct pt_regs *regs, int error_code);
 
+/*
+ * user_mode_vm(regs) determines whether a register set came from user mode.
+ * This is true if V8086 mode was enabled OR if the register set was from
+ * protected mode with RPL-3 CS value.  This tricky test checks that with
+ * one comparison.  Many places in the kernel can bypass this full check
+ * if they have already ruled out V8086 mode, so user_mode(regs) can be used.
+ */
 static inline int user_mode(struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
 	return (regs->xcs & 3) != 0;