diff --git a/kernel/cpu.c b/kernel/cpu.c
index 49273130e4f1..96c0a868232e 100644
--- a/kernel/cpu.c
+++ b/kernel/cpu.c
@@ -494,8 +494,7 @@ static int bringup_wait_for_ap(unsigned int cpu)
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE((!cpu_online(cpu))))
 		return -ECANCELED;
 
-	/* Unpark the stopper thread and the hotplug thread of the target cpu */
-	stop_machine_unpark(cpu);
+	/* Unpark the hotplug thread of the target cpu */
 	kthread_unpark(st->thread);
 
 	/*
@@ -1064,8 +1063,8 @@ void notify_cpu_starting(unsigned int cpu)
 
 /*
  * Called from the idle task. Wake up the controlling task which brings the
- * stopper and the hotplug thread of the upcoming CPU up and then delegates
- * the rest of the online bringup to the hotplug thread.
+ * hotplug thread of the upcoming CPU up and then delegates the rest of the
+ * online bringup to the hotplug thread.
  */
 void cpuhp_online_idle(enum cpuhp_state state)
 {
@@ -1075,6 +1074,12 @@ void cpuhp_online_idle(enum cpuhp_state state)
 	if (state != CPUHP_AP_ONLINE_IDLE)
 		return;
 
+	/*
+	 * Unpart the stopper thread before we start the idle loop (and start
+	 * scheduling); this ensures the stopper task is always available.
+	 */
+	stop_machine_unpark(smp_processor_id());
+
 	st->state = CPUHP_AP_ONLINE_IDLE;
 	complete_ap_thread(st, true);
 }