diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/idle_power4.S b/arch/powerpc/kernel/idle_power4.S
index dd7471fe..a09b3c7 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/idle_power4.S
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/idle_power4.S
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 	cmpwi	0,r4,0
 	beqlr
 
+	/* This sequence is similar to prep_irq_for_idle() */
+
 	/* Hard disable interrupts */
 	mfmsr	r7
 	rldicl	r0,r7,48,1
@@ -41,10 +43,15 @@
 	/* Check if something happened while soft-disabled */
 	lbz	r0,PACAIRQHAPPENED(r13)
 	cmpwi	cr0,r0,0
-	bnelr
+	bne-	2f
 
-	/* Soft-enable interrupts */
+	/*
+	 * Soft-enable interrupts. This will make power4_fixup_nap return
+	 * to our caller with interrupts enabled (soft and hard). The caller
+	 * can cope with either interrupts disabled or enabled upon return.
+	 */
 #ifdef CONFIG_TRACE_IRQFLAGS
+	/* Tell the tracer interrupts are on, because idle responds to them. */
 	mflr	r0
 	std	r0,16(r1)
 	stdu    r1,-128(r1)
@@ -73,3 +80,8 @@
 	isync
 	b	1b
 
+2:	/* Return if an interrupt had happened while soft disabled */
+	/* Set the HARD_DIS flag because interrupts are now hard disabled */
+	ori	r0,r0,PACA_IRQ_HARD_DIS
+	stb	r0,PACAIRQHAPPENED(r13)
+	blr