diff --git a/drivers/usb/host/xhci.c b/drivers/usb/host/xhci.c
index 1fd2f6a850eb..5c9d3be136d2 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/host/xhci.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/host/xhci.c
@@ -611,8 +611,27 @@ static int xhci_init(struct usb_hcd *hcd)
 
 static int xhci_run_finished(struct xhci_hcd *xhci)
 {
+	unsigned long	flags;
+	u32		temp;
+
+	/*
+	 * Enable interrupts before starting the host (xhci 4.2 and 5.5.2).
+	 * Protect the short window before host is running with a lock
+	 */
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&xhci->lock, flags);
+
+	xhci_dbg_trace(xhci, trace_xhci_dbg_init, "Enable interrupts");
+	temp = readl(&xhci->op_regs->command);
+	temp |= (CMD_EIE);
+	writel(temp, &xhci->op_regs->command);
+
+	xhci_dbg_trace(xhci, trace_xhci_dbg_init, "Enable primary interrupter");
+	temp = readl(&xhci->ir_set->irq_pending);
+	writel(ER_IRQ_ENABLE(temp), &xhci->ir_set->irq_pending);
+
 	if (xhci_start(xhci)) {
 		xhci_halt(xhci);
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&xhci->lock, flags);
 		return -ENODEV;
 	}
 	xhci->shared_hcd->state = HC_STATE_RUNNING;
@@ -623,6 +642,9 @@ static int xhci_run_finished(struct xhci_hcd *xhci)
 
 	xhci_dbg_trace(xhci, trace_xhci_dbg_init,
 			"Finished xhci_run for USB3 roothub");
+
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&xhci->lock, flags);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -671,19 +693,6 @@ int xhci_run(struct usb_hcd *hcd)
 	temp |= (xhci->imod_interval / 250) & ER_IRQ_INTERVAL_MASK;
 	writel(temp, &xhci->ir_set->irq_control);
 
-	/* Set the HCD state before we enable the irqs */
-	temp = readl(&xhci->op_regs->command);
-	temp |= (CMD_EIE);
-	xhci_dbg_trace(xhci, trace_xhci_dbg_init,
-			"// Enable interrupts, cmd = 0x%x.", temp);
-	writel(temp, &xhci->op_regs->command);
-
-	temp = readl(&xhci->ir_set->irq_pending);
-	xhci_dbg_trace(xhci, trace_xhci_dbg_init,
-			"// Enabling event ring interrupter %p by writing 0x%x to irq_pending",
-			xhci->ir_set, (unsigned int) ER_IRQ_ENABLE(temp));
-	writel(ER_IRQ_ENABLE(temp), &xhci->ir_set->irq_pending);
-
 	if (xhci->quirks & XHCI_NEC_HOST) {
 		struct xhci_command *command;