diff --git a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
index 25acf47..23a6320 100644
--- a/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
+++ b/drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 static struct cpufreq_policy	*cpufreq_cpu_data[NR_CPUS];
 static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(cpufreq_driver_lock);
 
-
 /* internal prototypes */
 static int __cpufreq_governor(struct cpufreq_policy *policy, unsigned int event);
 static void handle_update(void *data);
@@ -1115,24 +1114,21 @@
 	int retval = -EINVAL;
 
 	/*
-	 * Converted the lock_cpu_hotplug to preempt_disable()
-	 * and preempt_enable(). This is a bit kludgy and relies on how cpu
-	 * hotplug works. All we need is a guarantee that cpu hotplug won't make
-	 * progress on any cpu. Once we do preempt_disable(), this would ensure
-	 * that hotplug threads don't get onto this cpu, thereby delaying
-	 * the cpu remove process.
-	 *
-	 * We removed the lock_cpu_hotplug since we need to call this function
-	 * via cpu hotplug callbacks, which result in locking the cpu hotplug
-	 * thread itself. Agree this is not very clean, cpufreq community
-	 * could improve this if required. - Ashok Raj <ashok.raj@intel.com>
+	 * If we are already in context of hotplug thread, we dont need to
+	 * acquire the hotplug lock. Otherwise acquire cpucontrol to prevent
+	 * hotplug from removing this cpu that we are working on.
 	 */
-	preempt_disable();
+	if (!current_in_cpu_hotplug())
+		lock_cpu_hotplug();
+
 	dprintk("target for CPU %u: %u kHz, relation %u\n", policy->cpu,
 		target_freq, relation);
 	if (cpu_online(policy->cpu) && cpufreq_driver->target)
 		retval = cpufreq_driver->target(policy, target_freq, relation);
-	preempt_enable();
+
+	if (!current_in_cpu_hotplug())
+		unlock_cpu_hotplug();
+
 	return retval;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__cpufreq_driver_target);
diff --git a/include/linux/cpu.h b/include/linux/cpu.h
index 1f7b2c0..43c4453 100644
--- a/include/linux/cpu.h
+++ b/include/linux/cpu.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 /* Need to know about CPUs going up/down? */
 extern int register_cpu_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb);
 extern void unregister_cpu_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb);
+extern int current_in_cpu_hotplug(void);
 
 int cpu_up(unsigned int cpu);
 
@@ -54,6 +55,10 @@
 static inline void unregister_cpu_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb)
 {
 }
+static inline int current_in_cpu_hotplug(void)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_SMP */
 extern struct sysdev_class cpu_sysdev_class;
diff --git a/include/linux/sched.h b/include/linux/sched.h
index 03b68a7..2bbf968 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched.h
@@ -909,6 +909,7 @@
 #define PF_SYNCWRITE	0x00200000	/* I am doing a sync write */
 #define PF_BORROWED_MM	0x00400000	/* I am a kthread doing use_mm */
 #define PF_RANDOMIZE	0x00800000	/* randomize virtual address space */
+#define PF_HOTPLUG_CPU	0x01000000	/* Currently performing CPU hotplug */
 
 /*
  * Only the _current_ task can read/write to tsk->flags, but other
diff --git a/kernel/cpu.c b/kernel/cpu.c
index 3619e93..d61ba88 100644
--- a/kernel/cpu.c
+++ b/kernel/cpu.c
@@ -21,6 +21,24 @@
 
 static struct notifier_block *cpu_chain;
 
+/*
+ * Used to check by callers if they need to acquire the cpucontrol
+ * or not to protect a cpu from being removed. Its sometimes required to
+ * call these functions both for normal operations, and in response to
+ * a cpu being added/removed. If the context of the call is in the same
+ * thread context as a CPU hotplug thread, we dont need to take the lock
+ * since its already protected
+ * check drivers/cpufreq/cpufreq.c for its usage - Ashok Raj
+ */
+
+int current_in_cpu_hotplug(void)
+{
+	return (current->flags & PF_HOTPLUG_CPU);
+}
+
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(current_in_cpu_hotplug);
+
+
 /* Need to know about CPUs going up/down? */
 int register_cpu_notifier(struct notifier_block *nb)
 {
@@ -94,6 +112,13 @@
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Leave a trace in current->flags indicating we are already in
+	 * process of performing CPU hotplug. Callers can check if cpucontrol
+	 * is already acquired by current thread, and if so not cause
+	 * a dead lock by not acquiring the lock
+	 */
+	current->flags |= PF_HOTPLUG_CPU;
 	err = notifier_call_chain(&cpu_chain, CPU_DOWN_PREPARE,
 						(void *)(long)cpu);
 	if (err == NOTIFY_BAD) {
@@ -146,6 +171,7 @@
 out_allowed:
 	set_cpus_allowed(current, old_allowed);
 out:
+	current->flags &= ~PF_HOTPLUG_CPU;
 	unlock_cpu_hotplug();
 	return err;
 }
@@ -163,6 +189,12 @@
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 		goto out;
 	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Leave a trace in current->flags indicating we are already in
+	 * process of performing CPU hotplug.
+	 */
+	current->flags |= PF_HOTPLUG_CPU;
 	ret = notifier_call_chain(&cpu_chain, CPU_UP_PREPARE, hcpu);
 	if (ret == NOTIFY_BAD) {
 		printk("%s: attempt to bring up CPU %u failed\n",
@@ -185,6 +217,7 @@
 	if (ret != 0)
 		notifier_call_chain(&cpu_chain, CPU_UP_CANCELED, hcpu);
 out:
+	current->flags &= ~PF_HOTPLUG_CPU;
 	up(&cpucontrol);
 	return ret;
 }