diff --git a/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt b/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
index 4287696f18dd..94ce0d20253d 100644
--- a/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
+++ b/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
@@ -695,8 +695,15 @@ and is between 256 and 4096 characters. It is defined in the file
 	idebus=		[HW] (E)IDE subsystem - VLB/PCI bus speed
 			See Documentation/ide.txt.
 
-	idle=		[HW]
-			Format: idle=poll or idle=halt
+	idle=		[X86]
+			Format: idle=poll or idle=mwait
+			Poll forces a polling idle loop that can slightly improves the performance
+			of waking up a idle CPU, but will use a lot of power and make the system
+			run hot. Not recommended.
+			idle=mwait. On systems which support MONITOR/MWAIT but the kernel chose
+			to not use it because it doesn't save as much power as a normal idle
+			loop use the MONITOR/MWAIT idle loop anyways. Performance should be the same
+			as idle=poll.
 
 	ignore_loglevel	[KNL]
 			Ignore loglevel setting - this will print /all/
diff --git a/arch/i386/kernel/cpu/amd.c b/arch/i386/kernel/cpu/amd.c
index 2d47db482972..197cda62caa3 100644
--- a/arch/i386/kernel/cpu/amd.c
+++ b/arch/i386/kernel/cpu/amd.c
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ static __cpuinit int amd_apic_timer_broken(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int force_mwait __cpuinitdata;
+
 static void __cpuinit init_amd(struct cpuinfo_x86 *c)
 {
 	u32 l, h;
@@ -275,6 +277,9 @@ static void __cpuinit init_amd(struct cpuinfo_x86 *c)
 
 	if (amd_apic_timer_broken())
 		set_bit(X86_FEATURE_LAPIC_TIMER_BROKEN, c->x86_capability);
+
+	if (c->x86 == 0x10 && !force_mwait)
+		clear_bit(X86_FEATURE_MWAIT, c->x86_capability);
 }
 
 static unsigned int __cpuinit amd_size_cache(struct cpuinfo_x86 * c, unsigned int size)
diff --git a/arch/i386/kernel/process.c b/arch/i386/kernel/process.c
index 393a67d5d943..7e8e129b3d7d 100644
--- a/arch/i386/kernel/process.c
+++ b/arch/i386/kernel/process.c
@@ -272,25 +272,24 @@ void __devinit select_idle_routine(const struct cpuinfo_x86 *c)
 	}
 }
 
-static int __init idle_setup (char *str)
+static int __init idle_setup(char *str)
 {
-	if (!strncmp(str, "poll", 4)) {
+	if (!strcmp(str, "poll")) {
 		printk("using polling idle threads.\n");
 		pm_idle = poll_idle;
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_SMP
 		if (smp_num_siblings > 1)
 			printk("WARNING: polling idle and HT enabled, performance may degrade.\n");
 #endif
-	} else if (!strncmp(str, "halt", 4)) {
-		printk("using halt in idle threads.\n");
-		pm_idle = default_idle;
-	}
+	} else if (!strcmp(str, "mwait"))
+		force_mwait = 1;
+	else
+		return -1;
 
 	boot_option_idle_override = 1;
-	return 1;
+	return 0;
 }
-
-__setup("idle=", idle_setup);
+early_param("idle", idle_setup);
 
 void show_regs(struct pt_regs * regs)
 {
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/kernel/process.c b/arch/x86_64/kernel/process.c
index d8d5ccc245c8..4f21765078b7 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/kernel/process.c
+++ b/arch/x86_64/kernel/process.c
@@ -288,16 +288,18 @@ void __cpuinit select_idle_routine(const struct cpuinfo_x86 *c)
 
 static int __init idle_setup (char *str)
 {
-	if (!strncmp(str, "poll", 4)) {
+	if (!strcmp(str, "poll")) {
 		printk("using polling idle threads.\n");
 		pm_idle = poll_idle;
-	}
+	} else if (!strcmp(str, "mwait"))
+		force_mwait = 1;
+	else
+		return -1;
 
 	boot_option_idle_override = 1;
-	return 1;
+	return 0;
 }
-
-__setup("idle=", idle_setup);
+early_param("idle", idle_setup);
 
 /* Prints also some state that isn't saved in the pt_regs */ 
 void __show_regs(struct pt_regs * regs)
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/kernel/setup.c b/arch/x86_64/kernel/setup.c
index 0a1d539149df..db30b5bcef61 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/kernel/setup.c
+++ b/arch/x86_64/kernel/setup.c
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ int bootloader_type;
 
 unsigned long saved_video_mode;
 
+int force_mwait __cpuinitdata;
+
 /* 
  * Early DMI memory
  */
@@ -604,6 +606,10 @@ static void __cpuinit init_amd(struct cpuinfo_x86 *c)
 
 	/* RDTSC can be speculated around */
 	clear_bit(X86_FEATURE_SYNC_RDTSC, &c->x86_capability);
+
+	/* Family 10 doesn't support C states in MWAIT so don't use it */
+	if (c->x86 == 0x10 && !force_mwait)
+		clear_bit(X86_FEATURE_MWAIT, &c->x86_capability);
 }
 
 static void __cpuinit detect_ht(struct cpuinfo_x86 *c)
diff --git a/include/asm-i386/processor.h b/include/asm-i386/processor.h
index 9d895cc2f312..882d3f8fbbac 100644
--- a/include/asm-i386/processor.h
+++ b/include/asm-i386/processor.h
@@ -779,4 +779,6 @@ extern int sysenter_setup(void);
 extern void cpu_set_gdt(int);
 extern void cpu_init(void);
 
+extern int force_mwait;
+
 #endif /* __ASM_I386_PROCESSOR_H */
diff --git a/include/asm-x86_64/proto.h b/include/asm-x86_64/proto.h
index 3f8f285138d2..98063bcb3b33 100644
--- a/include/asm-x86_64/proto.h
+++ b/include/asm-x86_64/proto.h
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ extern int gsi_irq_sharing(int gsi);
 
 extern void smp_local_timer_interrupt(void);
 
+extern int force_mwait;
+
 long do_arch_prctl(struct task_struct *task, int code, unsigned long addr);
 
 void i8254_timer_resume(void);