diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/debug.h b/headers/private/kernel/debug.h
index 6f75cec2ff..81a1c7c326 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/debug.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/debug.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ extern status_t debug_init(struct kernel_args *args);
 extern status_t	debug_init_post_vm(struct kernel_args *args);
 extern void debug_early_boot_message(const char *string);
 extern void debug_puts(const char *s);
+extern bool debug_debugger_running(void);
 
 extern void _user_debug_output(const char *userString);
 
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_int.c b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_int.c
index 7d55505fcc..11e1db6bf6 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_int.c
+++ b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_int.c
@@ -407,19 +407,21 @@ i386_handle_trap(struct iframe frame)
 
 		case 14: 	// Page-Fault Exception (#PF)
 		{
+			bool disabledInterrupts = /*kernel_startup ||*/ debug_debugger_running();
 			unsigned int cr2;
 			addr_t newip;
 
 			asm("movl %%cr2, %0" : "=r" (cr2));
 
-			if ((frame.flags & 0x200) == 0 && !kernel_startup) {
+			if ((frame.flags & 0x200) == 0 && !disabledInterrupts) {
 				// if the interrupts were disabled, and we are not running the kernel startup
 				// the page fault was not allowed to happen and we must panic
 				panic("page fault, but interrupts were disabled. Touching address %p from eip %p\n", (void *)cr2, (void *)frame.eip);
 			} else if (thread != NULL && thread->page_faults_allowed < 1)
 				panic("page fault not allowed at this place. Touching address %p from eip %p\n", (void *)cr2, (void *)frame.eip);
 
-			enable_interrupts();
+			if (!disabledInterrupts)
+				enable_interrupts();
 
 			ret = vm_page_fault(cr2, frame.eip,
 				(frame.error_code & 0x2) != 0,	// write access
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.c b/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.c
index 9e7c36f9d7..0f24966b3d 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.c
+++ b/src/system/kernel/debug/debug.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ static bool sSyslogOutputEnabled = false;
 static bool sBlueScreenEnabled = false;
 static bool sBlueScreenOutput = false;
 static spinlock sSpinlock = 0;
-static int sDebuggerOnCPU = -1;
+static int32 sDebuggerOnCPU = -1;
 
 static struct debugger_command *sCommands;
 
@@ -272,11 +272,11 @@ parse_line(char *buf, char **argv, int *argc, int max_args)
 static void
 kernel_debugger_loop(void)
 {
-	kprintf("Welcome to Kernel Debugging Land...\n");
-	kprintf("Running on CPU %d\n", smp_get_current_cpu());
-
 	sDebuggerOnCPU = smp_get_current_cpu();
 
+	kprintf("Welcome to Kernel Debugging Land...\n");
+	kprintf("Running on CPU %ld\n", sDebuggerOnCPU);
+
 	for (;;) {
 		struct debugger_command *cmd = NULL;
 		int argc;
@@ -310,6 +310,8 @@ kernel_debugger_loop(void)
 		if (++sCurrentLine >= HISTORY_SIZE)
 			sCurrentLine = 0;
 	}
+
+	sDebuggerOnCPU = -1;
 }
 
 
@@ -368,6 +370,13 @@ cmd_continue(int argc, char **argv)
 //	#pragma mark - private kernel API
 
 
+bool
+debug_debugger_running(void)
+{
+	return sDebuggerOnCPU != -1;
+}
+
+
 void
 debug_puts(const char *string)
 {
@@ -529,11 +538,6 @@ kernel_debugger(const char *message)
 
 	state = disable_interrupts();
 
-	// XXX by setting kernel_startup = true, we disable
-	// XXX the interrupt check in semaphore code etc.
-	// XXX should be renamed?
-	kernel_startup = true;
-
 	if (sDebuggerOnCPU != smp_get_current_cpu()) {
 		// halt all of the other cpus
 
@@ -553,7 +557,6 @@ kernel_debugger(const char *message)
 	kernel_debugger_loop();
 
 	sBlueScreenOutput = false;
-	kernel_startup = false;
 	restore_interrupts(state);
 
 	// ToDo: in case we change dbg_register_file - don't we want to restore it?