diff --git a/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.c b/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.c
index aa1acc59a1..c26d5fd977 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.c
+++ b/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.c
@@ -867,20 +867,23 @@ panic(const char *format, ...)
 void
 kernel_debugger(const char *message)
 {
+	static vint32 inDebugger;
 	cpu_status state;
 	bool dprintfState;
 
+	state = disable_interrupts();
+	atomic_add(&inDebugger, 1);
+
 	arch_debug_save_registers(&dbg_register_file[smp_get_current_cpu()][0]);
 	dprintfState = set_dprintf_enabled(true);
 
-	state = disable_interrupts();
-
 	if (sDebuggerOnCPU != smp_get_current_cpu()) {
-		// halt all of the other cpus
+		// First entry, halt all of the other cpus
 
 		// XXX need to flush current smp mailbox to make sure this goes
 		// through. Otherwise it'll hang
-		smp_send_broadcast_ici(SMP_MSG_CPU_HALT, 0, 0, 0, NULL, SMP_MSG_FLAG_SYNC);
+		smp_send_broadcast_ici(SMP_MSG_CPU_HALT, 0, 0, 0, (void *)&inDebugger,
+			SMP_MSG_FLAG_SYNC);
 	}
 
 	if (sBlueScreenOutput) {
@@ -896,6 +899,7 @@ kernel_debugger(const char *message)
 	set_dprintf_enabled(dprintfState);
 
 	sBlueScreenEnabled = false;
+	atomic_add(&inDebugger, -1);
 	restore_interrupts(state);
 
 	// ToDo: in case we change dbg_register_file - don't we want to restore it?
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/smp.c b/src/system/kernel/smp.c
index c0e6dc085c..604675b685 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/smp.c
+++ b/src/system/kernel/smp.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2006, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de.
+ * Copyright 2002-2007, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  *
  * Copyright 2001-2002, Travis Geiselbrecht. All rights reserved.
@@ -347,11 +347,11 @@ static int32
 process_pending_ici(int32 currentCPU)
 {
 	struct smp_msg *msg;
-	bool halt = false;
-	int source_mailbox = 0;
+	vint32 *haltValue = NULL;
+	int sourceMailbox = 0;
 	int retval = B_HANDLED_INTERRUPT;
 
-	msg = check_for_message(currentCPU, &source_mailbox);
+	msg = check_for_message(currentCPU, &sourceMailbox);
 	if (msg == NULL)
 		return retval;
 
@@ -374,8 +374,8 @@ process_pending_ici(int32 currentCPU)
 			retval = B_INVOKE_SCHEDULER;
 			break;
 		case SMP_MSG_CPU_HALT:
-			halt = true;
-			dprintf("cpu %ld halted!\n", currentCPU);
+			haltValue = (vint32 *)msg->data_ptr;
+			dprintf("CPU %ld halted!\n", currentCPU);
 			break;
 		case SMP_MSG_CALL_FUNCTION:
 		{
@@ -389,13 +389,16 @@ process_pending_ici(int32 currentCPU)
 	}
 
 	// finish dealing with this message, possibly removing it from the list
-	finish_message_processing(currentCPU, msg, source_mailbox);
+	finish_message_processing(currentCPU, msg, sourceMailbox);
 
 	// special case for the halt message
-	// we otherwise wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to clean up
-	if (halt) {
-		disable_interrupts();
-		for(;;);
+	if (haltValue) {
+		cpu_status state = disable_interrupts();
+
+		while (*haltValue != 0)
+			;
+		
+		restore_interrupts(state);
 	}
 
 	return retval;