diff --git a/include/linux/cpumask.h b/include/linux/cpumask.h
index d0e8c8b0e34d..23f55140ccd5 100644
--- a/include/linux/cpumask.h
+++ b/include/linux/cpumask.h
@@ -398,11 +398,11 @@ extern cpumask_t cpu_present_map;
 #endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
-int highest_possible_processor_id(void);
+extern int nr_cpu_ids;
 #define any_online_cpu(mask) __any_online_cpu(&(mask))
 int __any_online_cpu(const cpumask_t *mask);
 #else
-#define highest_possible_processor_id()	0
+#define nr_cpu_ids			1
 #define any_online_cpu(mask)		0
 #endif
 
diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 1c5f6dce1bd2..a92989e7836a 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -387,14 +387,19 @@ static void __init setup_per_cpu_areas(void)
 /* Called by boot processor to activate the rest. */
 static void __init smp_init(void)
 {
-	unsigned int i;
+	unsigned int cpu;
+	unsigned highest = 0;
+
+	for_each_cpu_mask(cpu, cpu_possible_map)
+		highest = cpu;
+	nr_cpu_ids = highest + 1;
 
 	/* FIXME: This should be done in userspace --RR */
-	for_each_present_cpu(i) {
+	for_each_present_cpu(cpu) {
 		if (num_online_cpus() >= max_cpus)
 			break;
-		if (!cpu_online(i))
-			cpu_up(i);
+		if (!cpu_online(cpu))
+			cpu_up(cpu);
 	}
 
 	/* Any cleanup work */
diff --git a/lib/cpumask.c b/lib/cpumask.c
index 3a67dc5ada7d..1ea2c184315d 100644
--- a/lib/cpumask.c
+++ b/lib/cpumask.c
@@ -15,22 +15,8 @@ int __next_cpu(int n, const cpumask_t *srcp)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(__next_cpu);
 
-/*
- * Find the highest possible smp_processor_id()
- *
- * Note: if we're prepared to assume that cpu_possible_map never changes
- * (reasonable) then this function should cache its return value.
- */
-int highest_possible_processor_id(void)
-{
-	unsigned int cpu;
-	unsigned highest = 0;
-
-	for_each_cpu_mask(cpu, cpu_possible_map)
-		highest = cpu;
-	return highest;
-}
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(highest_possible_processor_id);
+int nr_cpu_ids;
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(nr_cpu_ids);
 
 int __any_online_cpu(const cpumask_t *mask)
 {
diff --git a/net/bridge/netfilter/ebtables.c b/net/bridge/netfilter/ebtables.c
index 34c49799f9b3..ac9984f98e59 100644
--- a/net/bridge/netfilter/ebtables.c
+++ b/net/bridge/netfilter/ebtables.c
@@ -833,8 +833,7 @@ static int translate_table(char *name, struct ebt_table_info *newinfo)
 		/* this will get free'd in do_replace()/ebt_register_table()
 		   if an error occurs */
 		newinfo->chainstack =
-			vmalloc((highest_possible_processor_id()+1)
-					* sizeof(*(newinfo->chainstack)));
+			vmalloc(nr_cpu_ids * sizeof(*(newinfo->chainstack)));
 		if (!newinfo->chainstack)
 			return -ENOMEM;
 		for_each_possible_cpu(i) {
@@ -947,8 +946,7 @@ static int do_replace(void __user *user, unsigned int len)
 	if (tmp.num_counters >= INT_MAX / sizeof(struct ebt_counter))
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	countersize = COUNTER_OFFSET(tmp.nentries) *
-					(highest_possible_processor_id()+1);
+	countersize = COUNTER_OFFSET(tmp.nentries) * nr_cpu_ids;
 	newinfo = vmalloc(sizeof(*newinfo) + countersize);
 	if (!newinfo)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -1168,8 +1166,7 @@ int ebt_register_table(struct ebt_table *table)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	countersize = COUNTER_OFFSET(repl->nentries) *
-					(highest_possible_processor_id()+1);
+	countersize = COUNTER_OFFSET(repl->nentries) * nr_cpu_ids;
 	newinfo = vmalloc(sizeof(*newinfo) + countersize);
 	ret = -ENOMEM;
 	if (!newinfo)
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/svc.c b/net/sunrpc/svc.c
index 232a99715ef2..8353829bc5c6 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/svc.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/svc.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ fail:
 static int
 svc_pool_map_init_percpu(struct svc_pool_map *m)
 {
-	unsigned int maxpools = highest_possible_processor_id() + 1;
+	unsigned int maxpools = nr_cpu_ids;
 	unsigned int pidx = 0;
 	unsigned int cpu;
 	int err;