diff --git a/arch/Kconfig b/arch/Kconfig
index f55c5fcbea38..d3015a61c148 100644
--- a/arch/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/Kconfig
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ config HOTPLUG_CORE_SYNC_FULL
 	select HOTPLUG_CORE_SYNC_DEAD if HOTPLUG_CPU
 	select HOTPLUG_CORE_SYNC
 
+config HOTPLUG_SPLIT_STARTUP
+	bool
+	select HOTPLUG_CORE_SYNC_FULL
+
 config GENERIC_ENTRY
 	bool
 
diff --git a/include/linux/cpuhotplug.h b/include/linux/cpuhotplug.h
index 5def71f81ec5..bc2d0a1d7608 100644
--- a/include/linux/cpuhotplug.h
+++ b/include/linux/cpuhotplug.h
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ enum cpuhp_state {
 	CPUHP_MIPS_SOC_PREPARE,
 	CPUHP_BP_PREPARE_DYN,
 	CPUHP_BP_PREPARE_DYN_END		= CPUHP_BP_PREPARE_DYN + 20,
+	CPUHP_BP_KICK_AP,
 	CPUHP_BRINGUP_CPU,
 
 	/*
@@ -517,9 +518,12 @@ void cpuhp_online_idle(enum cpuhp_state state);
 static inline void cpuhp_online_idle(enum cpuhp_state state) { }
 #endif
 
+struct task_struct;
+
 void cpuhp_ap_sync_alive(void);
 void arch_cpuhp_sync_state_poll(void);
 void arch_cpuhp_cleanup_kick_cpu(unsigned int cpu);
+int arch_cpuhp_kick_ap_alive(unsigned int cpu, struct task_struct *tidle);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_HOTPLUG_CORE_SYNC_DEAD
 void cpuhp_ap_report_dead(void);
diff --git a/kernel/cpu.c b/kernel/cpu.c
index 0ab6a7d430c6..d2487aa4e7c8 100644
--- a/kernel/cpu.c
+++ b/kernel/cpu.c
@@ -761,6 +761,47 @@ static int bringup_wait_for_ap_online(unsigned int cpu)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_HOTPLUG_SPLIT_STARTUP
+static int cpuhp_kick_ap_alive(unsigned int cpu)
+{
+	if (!cpuhp_can_boot_ap(cpu))
+		return -EAGAIN;
+
+	return arch_cpuhp_kick_ap_alive(cpu, idle_thread_get(cpu));
+}
+
+static int cpuhp_bringup_ap(unsigned int cpu)
+{
+	struct cpuhp_cpu_state *st = per_cpu_ptr(&cpuhp_state, cpu);
+	int ret;
+
+	/*
+	 * Some architectures have to walk the irq descriptors to
+	 * setup the vector space for the cpu which comes online.
+	 * Prevent irq alloc/free across the bringup.
+	 */
+	irq_lock_sparse();
+
+	ret = cpuhp_bp_sync_alive(cpu);
+	if (ret)
+		goto out_unlock;
+
+	ret = bringup_wait_for_ap_online(cpu);
+	if (ret)
+		goto out_unlock;
+
+	irq_unlock_sparse();
+
+	if (st->target <= CPUHP_AP_ONLINE_IDLE)
+		return 0;
+
+	return cpuhp_kick_ap(cpu, st, st->target);
+
+out_unlock:
+	irq_unlock_sparse();
+	return ret;
+}
+#else
 static int bringup_cpu(unsigned int cpu)
 {
 	struct cpuhp_cpu_state *st = per_cpu_ptr(&cpuhp_state, cpu);
@@ -781,7 +822,6 @@ static int bringup_cpu(unsigned int cpu)
 	 */
 	irq_lock_sparse();
 
-	/* Arch-specific enabling code. */
 	ret = __cpu_up(cpu, idle);
 	if (ret)
 		goto out_unlock;
@@ -805,6 +845,7 @@ out_unlock:
 	irq_unlock_sparse();
 	return ret;
 }
+#endif
 
 static int finish_cpu(unsigned int cpu)
 {
@@ -1944,13 +1985,38 @@ static struct cpuhp_step cpuhp_hp_states[] = {
 		.startup.single		= timers_prepare_cpu,
 		.teardown.single	= timers_dead_cpu,
 	},
-	/* Kicks the plugged cpu into life */
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_HOTPLUG_SPLIT_STARTUP
+	/*
+	 * Kicks the AP alive. AP will wait in cpuhp_ap_sync_alive() until
+	 * the next step will release it.
+	 */
+	[CPUHP_BP_KICK_AP] = {
+		.name			= "cpu:kick_ap",
+		.startup.single		= cpuhp_kick_ap_alive,
+	},
+
+	/*
+	 * Waits for the AP to reach cpuhp_ap_sync_alive() and then
+	 * releases it for the complete bringup.
+	 */
+	[CPUHP_BRINGUP_CPU] = {
+		.name			= "cpu:bringup",
+		.startup.single		= cpuhp_bringup_ap,
+		.teardown.single	= finish_cpu,
+		.cant_stop		= true,
+	},
+#else
+	/*
+	 * All-in-one CPU bringup state which includes the kick alive.
+	 */
 	[CPUHP_BRINGUP_CPU] = {
 		.name			= "cpu:bringup",
 		.startup.single		= bringup_cpu,
 		.teardown.single	= finish_cpu,
 		.cant_stop		= true,
 	},
+#endif
 	/* Final state before CPU kills itself */
 	[CPUHP_AP_IDLE_DEAD] = {
 		.name			= "idle:dead",