diff --git a/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c b/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c
index fef034a04c24..90a3e8026767 100644
--- a/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c
+++ b/arch/x86/xen/enlighten.c
@@ -97,6 +97,14 @@ struct shared_info *HYPERVISOR_shared_info = (void *)&xen_dummy_shared_info;
  */
 static int have_vcpu_info_placement = 1;
 
+static void clamp_max_cpus(void)
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_SMP
+	if (setup_max_cpus > MAX_VIRT_CPUS)
+		setup_max_cpus = MAX_VIRT_CPUS;
+#endif
+}
+
 static void xen_vcpu_setup(int cpu)
 {
 	struct vcpu_register_vcpu_info info;
@@ -104,13 +112,17 @@ static void xen_vcpu_setup(int cpu)
 	struct vcpu_info *vcpup;
 
 	BUG_ON(HYPERVISOR_shared_info == &xen_dummy_shared_info);
-	per_cpu(xen_vcpu, cpu) = &HYPERVISOR_shared_info->vcpu_info[cpu];
 
-	if (!have_vcpu_info_placement)
-		return;		/* already tested, not available */
+	if (cpu < MAX_VIRT_CPUS)
+		per_cpu(xen_vcpu,cpu) = &HYPERVISOR_shared_info->vcpu_info[cpu];
+
+	if (!have_vcpu_info_placement) {
+		if (cpu >= MAX_VIRT_CPUS)
+			clamp_max_cpus();
+		return;
+	}
 
 	vcpup = &per_cpu(xen_vcpu_info, cpu);
-
 	info.mfn = arbitrary_virt_to_mfn(vcpup);
 	info.offset = offset_in_page(vcpup);
 
@@ -125,6 +137,7 @@ static void xen_vcpu_setup(int cpu)
 	if (err) {
 		printk(KERN_DEBUG "register_vcpu_info failed: err=%d\n", err);
 		have_vcpu_info_placement = 0;
+		clamp_max_cpus();
 	} else {
 		/* This cpu is using the registered vcpu info, even if
 		   later ones fail to. */