diff --git a/arch/sparc/kernel/process.c b/arch/sparc/kernel/process.c
index c39f4d0..ea86474 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/kernel/process.c
+++ b/arch/sparc/kernel/process.c
@@ -67,13 +67,6 @@
 struct task_struct *last_task_used_math = NULL;
 struct thread_info *current_set[NR_CPUS];
 
-/*
- * default_idle is new in 2.5. XXX Review, currently stolen from sparc64.
- */
-void default_idle(void)
-{
-}
-
 #ifndef CONFIG_SMP
 
 #define SUN4C_FAULT_HIGH 100
@@ -92,12 +85,11 @@
 			static unsigned long fps;
 			unsigned long now;
 			unsigned long faults;
-			unsigned long flags;
 
 			extern unsigned long sun4c_kernel_faults;
 			extern void sun4c_grow_kernel_ring(void);
 
-			local_irq_save(flags);
+			local_irq_disable();
 			now = jiffies;
 			count -= (now - last_jiffies);
 			last_jiffies = now;
@@ -113,13 +105,16 @@
 					sun4c_grow_kernel_ring();
 				}
 			}
-			local_irq_restore(flags);
+			local_irq_enable();
 		}
 
-		while((!need_resched()) && pm_idle) {
-			(*pm_idle)();
+		if (pm_idle) {
+			while (!need_resched())
+				(*pm_idle)();
+		} else {
+			while (!need_resched())
+				cpu_relax();
 		}
-
 		preempt_enable_no_resched();
 		schedule();
 		preempt_disable();
@@ -132,15 +127,15 @@
 /* This is being executed in task 0 'user space'. */
 void cpu_idle(void)
 {
+        set_thread_flag(TIF_POLLING_NRFLAG);
 	/* endless idle loop with no priority at all */
 	while(1) {
-		if(need_resched()) {
-			preempt_enable_no_resched();
-			schedule();
-			preempt_disable();
-			check_pgt_cache();
-		}
-		barrier(); /* or else gcc optimizes... */
+		while (!need_resched())
+			cpu_relax();
+		preempt_enable_no_resched();
+		schedule();
+		preempt_disable();
+		check_pgt_cache();
 	}
 }