diff --git a/arch/sparc/include/asm/backoff.h b/arch/sparc/include/asm/backoff.h
index 64b077b..20f01df 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/include/asm/backoff.h
+++ b/arch/sparc/include/asm/backoff.h
@@ -11,19 +11,25 @@
 #define BACKOFF_LABEL(spin_label, continue_label) \
 	spin_label
 
-#define BACKOFF_SPIN(reg, tmp, label)	\
-	mov	reg, tmp; \
-88:	rd	%ccr, %g0; \
-	rd	%ccr, %g0; \
-	rd	%ccr, %g0; \
-	brnz,pt	tmp, 88b; \
-	 sub	tmp, 1, tmp; \
-	set	BACKOFF_LIMIT, tmp; \
-	cmp	reg, tmp; \
-	bg,pn	%xcc, label; \
-	 nop; \
-	ba,pt	%xcc, label; \
-	 sllx	reg, 1, reg;
+#define BACKOFF_SPIN(reg, tmp, label)		\
+	mov		reg, tmp;		\
+88:	rd		%ccr, %g0;		\
+	rd		%ccr, %g0;		\
+	rd		%ccr, %g0;		\
+	.section	.pause_patch,"ax";	\
+	.word		88b;			\
+	sllx		tmp, 7, tmp;		\
+	wr		tmp, 0, %asr27;		\
+	clr		tmp;			\
+	.previous;				\
+	brnz,pt		tmp, 88b;		\
+	 sub		tmp, 1, tmp;		\
+	set		BACKOFF_LIMIT, tmp;	\
+	cmp		reg, tmp;		\
+	bg,pn		%xcc, label;		\
+	 nop;					\
+	ba,pt		%xcc, label;		\
+	 sllx		reg, 1, reg;
 
 #else
 
diff --git a/arch/sparc/include/asm/processor_64.h b/arch/sparc/include/asm/processor_64.h
index 9865634..9cdf52e 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/include/asm/processor_64.h
+++ b/arch/sparc/include/asm/processor_64.h
@@ -196,9 +196,16 @@
 #define KSTK_EIP(tsk)  (task_pt_regs(tsk)->tpc)
 #define KSTK_ESP(tsk)  (task_pt_regs(tsk)->u_regs[UREG_FP])
 
-#define cpu_relax()	asm volatile("rd	%%ccr, %%g0\n\t" \
-				     "rd	%%ccr, %%g0\n\t" \
-				     "rd	%%ccr, %%g0" \
+#define cpu_relax()	asm volatile("\n99:\n\t"			\
+				     "rd	%%ccr, %%g0\n\t"	\
+				     "rd	%%ccr, %%g0\n\t"	\
+				     "rd	%%ccr, %%g0\n\t"	\
+				     ".section	.pause_patch,\"ax\"\n\t"\
+				     ".word	99b\n\t"		\
+				     "wr	%%g0, 128, %%asr27\n\t"	\
+				     "nop\n\t"				\
+				     "nop\n\t"				\
+				     ".previous"			\
 				     ::: "memory")
 
 /* Prefetch support.  This is tuned for UltraSPARC-III and later.
diff --git a/arch/sparc/kernel/entry.h b/arch/sparc/kernel/entry.h
index 0c218e4..51742df 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/kernel/entry.h
+++ b/arch/sparc/kernel/entry.h
@@ -59,6 +59,13 @@
 extern struct popc_6insn_patch_entry __popc_6insn_patch,
 	__popc_6insn_patch_end;
 
+struct pause_patch_entry {
+	unsigned int	addr;
+	unsigned int	insns[3];
+};
+extern struct pause_patch_entry __pause_patch,
+	__pause_patch_end;
+
 extern void __init per_cpu_patch(void);
 extern void sun4v_patch_1insn_range(struct sun4v_1insn_patch_entry *,
 				    struct sun4v_1insn_patch_entry *);
diff --git a/arch/sparc/kernel/setup_64.c b/arch/sparc/kernel/setup_64.c
index 0800e71..b45cff4 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/kernel/setup_64.c
+++ b/arch/sparc/kernel/setup_64.c
@@ -316,6 +316,25 @@
 	}
 }
 
+static void __init pause_patch(void)
+{
+	struct pause_patch_entry *p;
+
+	p = &__pause_patch;
+	while (p < &__pause_patch_end) {
+		unsigned long i, addr = p->addr;
+
+		for (i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+			*(unsigned int *) (addr +  (i * 4)) = p->insns[i];
+			wmb();
+			__asm__ __volatile__("flush	%0"
+					     : : "r" (addr +  (i * 4)));
+		}
+
+		p++;
+	}
+}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
 void __init boot_cpu_id_too_large(int cpu)
 {
@@ -528,6 +547,8 @@
 
 	if (sparc64_elf_hwcap & AV_SPARC_POPC)
 		popc_patch();
+	if (sparc64_elf_hwcap & AV_SPARC_PAUSE)
+		pause_patch();
 }
 
 void __init setup_arch(char **cmdline_p)
diff --git a/arch/sparc/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S b/arch/sparc/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
index 89c2c29..847f9f7 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
+++ b/arch/sparc/kernel/vmlinux.lds.S
@@ -132,6 +132,11 @@
 		*(.popc_6insn_patch)
 		__popc_6insn_patch_end = .;
 	}
+	.pause_patch : {
+		__pause_patch = .;
+		*(.pause_patch)
+		__pause_patch_end = .;
+	}
 	PERCPU_SECTION(SMP_CACHE_BYTES)
 
 	. = ALIGN(PAGE_SIZE);