diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c b/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
index a8fb8a980fae..e139e617f422 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/smpboot.c
@@ -756,6 +756,14 @@ static void __cpuinit do_fork_idle(struct work_struct *work)
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_64
+
+/* __ref because it's safe to call free_bootmem when after_bootmem == 0. */
+static void __ref free_bootmem_pda(struct x8664_pda *oldpda)
+{
+	if (!after_bootmem)
+		free_bootmem((unsigned long)oldpda, sizeof(*oldpda));
+}
+
 /*
  * Allocate node local memory for the AP pda.
  *
@@ -784,8 +792,7 @@ int __cpuinit get_local_pda(int cpu)
 
 	if (oldpda) {
 		memcpy(newpda, oldpda, size);
-		if (!after_bootmem)
-			free_bootmem((unsigned long)oldpda, size);
+		free_bootmem_pda(oldpda);
 	}
 
 	newpda->in_bootmem = 0;