diff --git a/kernel/time/tick-broadcast.c b/kernel/time/tick-broadcast.c
index eadfce2fff74..8001d37071f5 100644
--- a/kernel/time/tick-broadcast.c
+++ b/kernel/time/tick-broadcast.c
@@ -243,11 +243,18 @@ void tick_broadcast_on_off(unsigned long reason, int *oncpu)
 {
 	int cpu = get_cpu();
 
-	if (cpu == *oncpu)
-		tick_do_broadcast_on_off(&reason);
-	else
-		smp_call_function_single(*oncpu, tick_do_broadcast_on_off,
-					 &reason, 1, 1);
+	if (!cpu_isset(*oncpu, cpu_online_map)) {
+		printk(KERN_ERR "tick-braodcast: ignoring broadcast for "
+		       "offline CPU #%d\n", *oncpu);
+	} else {
+
+		if (cpu == *oncpu)
+			tick_do_broadcast_on_off(&reason);
+		else
+			smp_call_function_single(*oncpu,
+						 tick_do_broadcast_on_off,
+						 &reason, 1, 1);
+	}
 	put_cpu();
 }