diff --git a/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c b/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c
index 47d32434d0b6..ddbd54a9b845 100644
--- a/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c
+++ b/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c
@@ -1641,8 +1641,11 @@ static int __cpuinit xen_hvm_cpu_notify(struct notifier_block *self,
 	switch (action) {
 	case CPU_UP_PREPARE:
 		xen_vcpu_setup(cpu);
-		if (xen_have_vector_callback)
+		if (xen_have_vector_callback) {
 			xen_init_lock_cpu(cpu);
+			if (xen_feature(XENFEAT_hvm_safe_pvclock))
+				xen_setup_timer(cpu);
+		}
 		break;
 	default:
 		break;
diff --git a/arch/x86/xen/time.c b/arch/x86/xen/time.c
index 0296a9522501..054cc01bb849 100644
--- a/arch/x86/xen/time.c
+++ b/arch/x86/xen/time.c
@@ -497,7 +497,11 @@ static void xen_hvm_setup_cpu_clockevents(void)
 {
 	int cpu = smp_processor_id();
 	xen_setup_runstate_info(cpu);
-	xen_setup_timer(cpu);
+	/*
+	 * xen_setup_timer(cpu) - snprintf is bad in atomic context. Hence
+	 * doing it xen_hvm_cpu_notify (which gets called by smp_init during
+	 * early bootup and also during CPU hotplug events).
+	 */
 	xen_setup_cpu_clockevents();
 }