diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h
index c986e32b5a48..693a0ad56019 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ extern void lapic_assign_system_vectors(void);
 extern void lapic_assign_legacy_vector(unsigned int isairq, bool replace);
 extern void lapic_online(void);
 extern void lapic_offline(void);
+extern bool apic_needs_pit(void);
 
 #else /* !CONFIG_X86_LOCAL_APIC */
 static inline void lapic_shutdown(void) { }
@@ -186,6 +187,7 @@ static inline void init_bsp_APIC(void) { }
 static inline void apic_intr_mode_init(void) { }
 static inline void lapic_assign_system_vectors(void) { }
 static inline void lapic_assign_legacy_vector(unsigned int i, bool r) { }
+static inline bool apic_needs_pit(void) { return true; }
 #endif /* !CONFIG_X86_LOCAL_APIC */
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_X2APIC
diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/time.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/time.h
index cef818b16045..8ac563abb567 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/time.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/time.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 extern void hpet_time_init(void);
 extern void time_init(void);
+extern bool pit_timer_init(void);
 
 extern struct clock_event_device *global_clock_event;
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c
index dc4ed655dbbb..29fd50840b55 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c
@@ -820,6 +820,33 @@ static int __init lapic_init_clockevent(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+bool __init apic_needs_pit(void)
+{
+	/*
+	 * If the frequencies are not known, PIT is required for both TSC
+	 * and apic timer calibration.
+	 */
+	if (!tsc_khz || !cpu_khz)
+		return true;
+
+	/* Is there an APIC at all? */
+	if (!boot_cpu_has(X86_FEATURE_APIC))
+		return true;
+
+	/* Deadline timer is based on TSC so no further PIT action required */
+	if (boot_cpu_has(X86_FEATURE_TSC_DEADLINE_TIMER))
+		return false;
+
+	/* APIC timer disabled? */
+	if (disable_apic_timer)
+		return true;
+	/*
+	 * The APIC timer frequency is known already, no PIT calibration
+	 * required. If unknown, let the PIT be initialized.
+	 */
+	return lapic_timer_period == 0;
+}
+
 static int __init calibrate_APIC_clock(void)
 {
 	struct clock_event_device *levt = this_cpu_ptr(&lapic_events);
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/io_apic.c b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/io_apic.c
index 53aa234a6803..1bb864798800 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/io_apic.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/io_apic.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 #include <asm/acpi.h>
 #include <asm/dma.h>
 #include <asm/timer.h>
+#include <asm/time.h>
 #include <asm/i8259.h>
 #include <asm/setup.h>
 #include <asm/irq_remapping.h>
@@ -2083,6 +2084,9 @@ static inline void __init check_timer(void)
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int no_pin1 = 0;
 
+	if (!global_clock_event)
+		return;
+
 	local_irq_save(flags);
 
 	/*
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c b/arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c
index 0d307a657abb..2b7999a1a50a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/i8253.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <linux/timex.h>
 #include <linux/i8253.h>
 
+#include <asm/apic.h>
 #include <asm/hpet.h>
 #include <asm/time.h>
 #include <asm/smp.h>
@@ -18,10 +19,32 @@
  */
 struct clock_event_device *global_clock_event;
 
-void __init setup_pit_timer(void)
+/*
+ * Modern chipsets can disable the PIT clock which makes it unusable. It
+ * would be possible to enable the clock but the registers are chipset
+ * specific and not discoverable. Avoid the whack a mole game.
+ *
+ * These platforms have discoverable TSC/CPU frequencies but this also
+ * requires to know the local APIC timer frequency as it normally is
+ * calibrated against the PIT interrupt.
+ */
+static bool __init use_pit(void)
 {
+	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_X86_TSC) || !boot_cpu_has(X86_FEATURE_TSC))
+		return true;
+
+	/* This also returns true when APIC is disabled */
+	return apic_needs_pit();
+}
+
+bool __init pit_timer_init(void)
+{
+	if (!use_pit())
+		return false;
+
 	clockevent_i8253_init(true);
 	global_clock_event = &i8253_clockevent;
+	return true;
 }
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_X86_64
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/time.c b/arch/x86/kernel/time.c
index 0e14f6c0d35e..07c0e960b3f3 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/time.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/time.c
@@ -82,8 +82,11 @@ static void __init setup_default_timer_irq(void)
 /* Default timer init function */
 void __init hpet_time_init(void)
 {
-	if (!hpet_enable())
-		setup_pit_timer();
+	if (!hpet_enable()) {
+		if (!pit_timer_init())
+			return;
+	}
+
 	setup_default_timer_irq();
 }