diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c b/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
index 3f731beb4d3f..4349e8ab2566 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
@@ -275,7 +275,6 @@ static void notrace start_secondary(void *unused)
 	 * half valid vector space.
 	 */
 	lock_vector_lock();
-	/* Sync point with do_wait_cpu_online() */
 	set_cpu_online(smp_processor_id(), true);
 	lapic_online();
 	unlock_vector_lock();
@@ -1104,20 +1103,6 @@ static int wait_cpu_initialized(unsigned int cpu)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/*
- * Bringup step three: Wait for the target AP to reach set_cpu_online() in
- * start_secondary().
- */
-static void wait_cpu_online(unsigned int cpu)
-{
-	/*
-	 * Wait for the AP to mark itself online, so the core caller
-	 * can drop sparse_irq_lock.
-	 */
-	while (!cpu_online(cpu))
-		schedule();
-}
-
 static int native_kick_ap(unsigned int cpu, struct task_struct *tidle)
 {
 	int apicid = apic->cpu_present_to_apicid(cpu);
@@ -1164,16 +1149,9 @@ int native_cpu_up(unsigned int cpu, struct task_struct *tidle)
 	int ret;
 
 	ret = native_kick_ap(cpu, tidle);
-	if (ret)
-		goto out;
+	if (!ret)
+		ret = wait_cpu_initialized(cpu);
 
-	ret = wait_cpu_initialized(cpu);
-	if (ret)
-		goto out;
-
-	wait_cpu_online(cpu);
-
-out:
 	/* Cleanup possible dangling ends... */
 	if (x86_platform.legacy.warm_reset)
 		smpboot_restore_warm_reset_vector();