diff --git a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/xive-regs.h b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/xive-regs.h
index f2dfcd50a2d3..33aee7490cbb 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/xive-regs.h
+++ b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/xive-regs.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 
 #define XIVE_ESB_VAL_P		0x2
 #define XIVE_ESB_VAL_Q		0x1
+#define XIVE_ESB_INVALID	0xFF
 
 /*
  * Thread Management (aka "TM") registers
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/sysdev/xive/common.c b/arch/powerpc/sysdev/xive/common.c
index f5fadbd2533a..9651ca061828 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/sysdev/xive/common.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/sysdev/xive/common.c
@@ -972,12 +972,21 @@ static int xive_get_irqchip_state(struct irq_data *data,
 				  enum irqchip_irq_state which, bool *state)
 {
 	struct xive_irq_data *xd = irq_data_get_irq_handler_data(data);
+	u8 pq;
 
 	switch (which) {
 	case IRQCHIP_STATE_ACTIVE:
-		*state = !xd->stale_p &&
-			 (xd->saved_p ||
-			  !!(xive_esb_read(xd, XIVE_ESB_GET) & XIVE_ESB_VAL_P));
+		pq = xive_esb_read(xd, XIVE_ESB_GET);
+
+		/*
+		 * The esb value being all 1's means we couldn't get
+		 * the PQ state of the interrupt through mmio. It may
+		 * happen, for example when querying a PHB interrupt
+		 * while the PHB is in an error state. We consider the
+		 * interrupt to be inactive in that case.
+		 */
+		*state = (pq != XIVE_ESB_INVALID) && !xd->stale_p &&
+			(xd->saved_p || !!(pq & XIVE_ESB_VAL_P));
 		return 0;
 	default:
 		return -EINVAL;