diff --git a/arch/mips/include/asm/smp.h b/arch/mips/include/asm/smp.h
index bb02fac9b4fa..2b25d1ba1ea0 100644
--- a/arch/mips/include/asm/smp.h
+++ b/arch/mips/include/asm/smp.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ extern int __cpu_logical_map[NR_CPUS];
 #define SMP_DUMP		0x8
 #define SMP_ASK_C0COUNT		0x10
 
-extern volatile cpumask_t cpu_callin_map;
+extern cpumask_t cpu_callin_map;
 
 /* Mask of CPUs which are currently definitely operating coherently */
 extern cpumask_t cpu_coherent_mask;
diff --git a/arch/mips/kernel/smp.c b/arch/mips/kernel/smp.c
index 193ace7955fb..faa46ebd9dda 100644
--- a/arch/mips/kernel/smp.c
+++ b/arch/mips/kernel/smp.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 #include <asm/time.h>
 #include <asm/setup.h>
 
-volatile cpumask_t cpu_callin_map;	/* Bitmask of started secondaries */
+cpumask_t cpu_callin_map;		/* Bitmask of started secondaries */
 
 int __cpu_number_map[NR_CPUS];		/* Map physical to logical */
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(__cpu_number_map);
@@ -218,8 +218,10 @@ int __cpu_up(unsigned int cpu, struct task_struct *tidle)
 	/*
 	 * Trust is futile.  We should really have timeouts ...
 	 */
-	while (!cpumask_test_cpu(cpu, &cpu_callin_map))
+	while (!cpumask_test_cpu(cpu, &cpu_callin_map)) {
 		udelay(100);
+		schedule();
+	}
 
 	synchronise_count_master(cpu);
 	return 0;