diff --git a/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c b/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c
index 7e8d3bc80af6..50542efe45fb 100644
--- a/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c
+++ b/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c
@@ -1194,7 +1194,7 @@ asmlinkage void __init xen_start_kernel(void)
 	per_cpu(xen_vcpu, 0) = &HYPERVISOR_shared_info->vcpu_info[0];
 
 	local_irq_disable();
-	early_boot_irqs_off();
+	early_boot_irqs_disabled = true;
 
 	memblock_init();
 
diff --git a/include/linux/kernel.h b/include/linux/kernel.h
index 5a9d9059520b..d07d8057e440 100644
--- a/include/linux/kernel.h
+++ b/include/linux/kernel.h
@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@ extern int test_taint(unsigned flag);
 extern unsigned long get_taint(void);
 extern int root_mountflags;
 
+extern bool early_boot_irqs_disabled;
+
 /* Values used for system_state */
 extern enum system_states {
 	SYSTEM_BOOTING,
diff --git a/include/linux/lockdep.h b/include/linux/lockdep.h
index 71c09b26c759..f638fd78d106 100644
--- a/include/linux/lockdep.h
+++ b/include/linux/lockdep.h
@@ -436,16 +436,8 @@ do {								\
 #endif /* CONFIG_LOCKDEP */
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_TRACE_IRQFLAGS
-extern void early_boot_irqs_off(void);
-extern void early_boot_irqs_on(void);
 extern void print_irqtrace_events(struct task_struct *curr);
 #else
-static inline void early_boot_irqs_off(void)
-{
-}
-static inline void early_boot_irqs_on(void)
-{
-}
 static inline void print_irqtrace_events(struct task_struct *curr)
 {
 }
diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 00799c1d4628..33c37c379e96 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -96,6 +96,15 @@ static inline void mark_rodata_ro(void) { }
 extern void tc_init(void);
 #endif
 
+/*
+ * Debug helper: via this flag we know that we are in 'early bootup code'
+ * where only the boot processor is running with IRQ disabled.  This means
+ * two things - IRQ must not be enabled before the flag is cleared and some
+ * operations which are not allowed with IRQ disabled are allowed while the
+ * flag is set.
+ */
+bool early_boot_irqs_disabled __read_mostly;
+
 enum system_states system_state __read_mostly;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(system_state);
 
@@ -554,7 +563,7 @@ asmlinkage void __init start_kernel(void)
 	cgroup_init_early();
 
 	local_irq_disable();
-	early_boot_irqs_off();
+	early_boot_irqs_disabled = true;
 
 /*
  * Interrupts are still disabled. Do necessary setups, then
@@ -621,7 +630,7 @@ asmlinkage void __init start_kernel(void)
 	if (!irqs_disabled())
 		printk(KERN_CRIT "start_kernel(): bug: interrupts were "
 				 "enabled early\n");
-	early_boot_irqs_on();
+	early_boot_irqs_disabled = false;
 	local_irq_enable();
 
 	/* Interrupts are enabled now so all GFP allocations are safe. */
diff --git a/kernel/lockdep.c b/kernel/lockdep.c
index 42ba65dff7d9..0d2058da80f5 100644
--- a/kernel/lockdep.c
+++ b/kernel/lockdep.c
@@ -2291,22 +2291,6 @@ mark_held_locks(struct task_struct *curr, enum mark_type mark)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-/*
- * Debugging helper: via this flag we know that we are in
- * 'early bootup code', and will warn about any invalid irqs-on event:
- */
-static int early_boot_irqs_enabled;
-
-void early_boot_irqs_off(void)
-{
-	early_boot_irqs_enabled = 0;
-}
-
-void early_boot_irqs_on(void)
-{
-	early_boot_irqs_enabled = 1;
-}
-
 /*
  * Hardirqs will be enabled:
  */
@@ -2319,7 +2303,7 @@ void trace_hardirqs_on_caller(unsigned long ip)
 	if (unlikely(!debug_locks || current->lockdep_recursion))
 		return;
 
-	if (DEBUG_LOCKS_WARN_ON(unlikely(!early_boot_irqs_enabled)))
+	if (DEBUG_LOCKS_WARN_ON(unlikely(early_boot_irqs_disabled)))
 		return;
 
 	if (unlikely(curr->hardirqs_enabled)) {
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_irqsoff.c b/kernel/trace/trace_irqsoff.c
index 5cf8c602b880..92b6e1e12d98 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_irqsoff.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_irqsoff.c
@@ -453,14 +453,6 @@ void time_hardirqs_off(unsigned long a0, unsigned long a1)
  * Stubs:
  */
 
-void early_boot_irqs_off(void)
-{
-}
-
-void early_boot_irqs_on(void)
-{
-}
-
 void trace_softirqs_on(unsigned long ip)
 {
 }