diff --git a/arch/i386/kernel/smpboot.c b/arch/i386/kernel/smpboot.c
index 255adb498268..fb00ab7b7612 100644
--- a/arch/i386/kernel/smpboot.c
+++ b/arch/i386/kernel/smpboot.c
@@ -87,11 +87,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(cpu_online_map);
 cpumask_t cpu_callin_map;
 cpumask_t cpu_callout_map;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(cpu_callout_map);
-#ifdef CONFIG_HOTPLUG_CPU
-cpumask_t cpu_possible_map = CPU_MASK_ALL;
-#else
 cpumask_t cpu_possible_map;
-#endif
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(cpu_possible_map);
 static cpumask_t smp_commenced_mask;
 
diff --git a/arch/i386/mach-voyager/voyager_smp.c b/arch/i386/mach-voyager/voyager_smp.c
index 72a1b9cae2e4..6e4c3baef6cc 100644
--- a/arch/i386/mach-voyager/voyager_smp.c
+++ b/arch/i386/mach-voyager/voyager_smp.c
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ static cpumask_t smp_commenced_mask = CPU_MASK_NONE;
 cpumask_t cpu_callin_map = CPU_MASK_NONE;
 cpumask_t cpu_callout_map = CPU_MASK_NONE;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(cpu_callout_map);
-cpumask_t cpu_possible_map = CPU_MASK_ALL;
+cpumask_t cpu_possible_map = CPU_MASK_NONE;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(cpu_possible_map);
 
 /* The per processor IRQ masks (these are usually kept in sync) */
diff --git a/include/linux/cpumask.h b/include/linux/cpumask.h
index 20b446f26ecd..60e56c6e03dd 100644
--- a/include/linux/cpumask.h
+++ b/include/linux/cpumask.h
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ static inline void __cpus_remap(cpumask_t *dstp, const cpumask_t *srcp,
  * bitmap of size NR_CPUS.
  *
  *  #ifdef CONFIG_HOTPLUG_CPU
- *     cpu_possible_map - all NR_CPUS bits set
+ *     cpu_possible_map - has bit 'cpu' set iff cpu is populatable
  *     cpu_present_map  - has bit 'cpu' set iff cpu is populated
  *     cpu_online_map   - has bit 'cpu' set iff cpu available to scheduler
  *  #else