diff --git a/arch/i386/kernel/apic.c b/arch/i386/kernel/apic.c
index f9fff29e01a9a3fecbf6f5a59936120416f23713..3d67ae18d762048a145c4211a0fa5f2ca174bf02 100644
--- a/arch/i386/kernel/apic.c
+++ b/arch/i386/kernel/apic.c
@@ -1085,7 +1085,7 @@ static int __init detect_init_APIC (void)
 	if (l & MSR_IA32_APICBASE_ENABLE)
 		mp_lapic_addr = l & MSR_IA32_APICBASE_BASE;
 
-	if (nmi_watchdog != NMI_NONE)
+	if (nmi_watchdog != NMI_NONE && nmi_watchdog != NMI_DISABLED)
 		nmi_watchdog = NMI_LOCAL_APIC;
 
 	printk(KERN_INFO "Found and enabled local APIC!\n");
diff --git a/arch/i386/kernel/nmi.c b/arch/i386/kernel/nmi.c
index 99beac7f96ceb4df737c9c02c304ba9d9999710f..8c1c965eb2a8e4b6c54d0bb7db320303d6844144 100644
--- a/arch/i386/kernel/nmi.c
+++ b/arch/i386/kernel/nmi.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ static int __init check_nmi_watchdog(void)
 	unsigned int *prev_nmi_count;
 	int cpu;
 
-	if ((nmi_watchdog == NMI_NONE) || (nmi_watchdog == NMI_DEFAULT))
+	if ((nmi_watchdog == NMI_NONE) || (nmi_watchdog == NMI_DISABLED))
 		return 0;
 
 	if (!atomic_read(&nmi_active))
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ int proc_nmi_enabled(struct ctl_table *table, int write, struct file *file,
 	if (!!old_state == !!nmi_watchdog_enabled)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (atomic_read(&nmi_active) < 0) {
+	if (atomic_read(&nmi_active) < 0 || nmi_watchdog == NMI_DISABLED) {
 		printk( KERN_WARNING "NMI watchdog is permanently disabled\n");
 		return -EIO;
 	}
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/kernel/nmi.c b/arch/x86_64/kernel/nmi.c
index cb8ee9d02f8682d4e52374aae1847a4daf03292a..0ec6d2ddb931f48a2cbeef6daf09503907328638 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/kernel/nmi.c
+++ b/arch/x86_64/kernel/nmi.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ int __init check_nmi_watchdog (void)
 	int *counts;
 	int cpu;
 
-	if ((nmi_watchdog == NMI_NONE) || (nmi_watchdog == NMI_DEFAULT))
+	if ((nmi_watchdog == NMI_NONE) || (nmi_watchdog == NMI_DISABLED)) 
 		return 0;
 
 	if (!atomic_read(&nmi_active))
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ int proc_nmi_enabled(struct ctl_table *table, int write, struct file *file,
 	if (!!old_state == !!nmi_watchdog_enabled)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (atomic_read(&nmi_active) < 0) {
+	if (atomic_read(&nmi_active) < 0 || nmi_watchdog == NMI_DISABLED) {
 		printk( KERN_WARNING "NMI watchdog is permanently disabled\n");
 		return -EIO;
 	}
diff --git a/include/asm-i386/nmi.h b/include/asm-i386/nmi.h
index ff30c98f87b023290c8d1355f3873540e7d6c2ae..70a958a8e3816f738558ca33b00a49d3e14cd3a0 100644
--- a/include/asm-i386/nmi.h
+++ b/include/asm-i386/nmi.h
@@ -33,11 +33,12 @@ extern int nmi_watchdog_tick (struct pt_regs * regs, unsigned reason);
 
 extern atomic_t nmi_active;
 extern unsigned int nmi_watchdog;
-#define NMI_DEFAULT     -1
+#define NMI_DISABLED    -1
 #define NMI_NONE	0
 #define NMI_IO_APIC	1
 #define NMI_LOCAL_APIC	2
 #define NMI_INVALID	3
+#define NMI_DEFAULT	NMI_DISABLED
 
 struct ctl_table;
 struct file;
diff --git a/include/asm-x86_64/nmi.h b/include/asm-x86_64/nmi.h
index 5fb3c0de5cccba5a421a3820bb551619d489fad9..65b6acf3bb593af5edd4460d9a8bd3cdb32ff924 100644
--- a/include/asm-x86_64/nmi.h
+++ b/include/asm-x86_64/nmi.h
@@ -64,11 +64,12 @@ extern int setup_nmi_watchdog(char *);
 
 extern atomic_t nmi_active;
 extern unsigned int nmi_watchdog;
-#define NMI_DEFAULT	-1
+#define NMI_DISABLED    -1
 #define NMI_NONE	0
 #define NMI_IO_APIC	1
 #define NMI_LOCAL_APIC	2
 #define NMI_INVALID	3
+#define NMI_DEFAULT	NMI_DISABLED
 
 struct ctl_table;
 struct file;