diff --git a/arch/ppc64/kernel/pSeries_lpar.c b/arch/ppc64/kernel/pSeries_lpar.c
index 0a3ddc9227c5..a1d5fdfea4a8 100644
--- a/arch/ppc64/kernel/pSeries_lpar.c
+++ b/arch/ppc64/kernel/pSeries_lpar.c
@@ -266,6 +266,10 @@ void vpa_init(int cpu)
 
 	/* Register the Virtual Processor Area (VPA) */
 	flags = 1UL << (63 - 18);
+
+	if (cpu_has_feature(CPU_FTR_ALTIVEC))
+		paca[cpu].lppaca.vmxregs_in_use = 1;
+
 	ret = register_vpa(flags, hwcpu, __pa(vpa));
 
 	if (ret)
diff --git a/arch/ppc64/kernel/pacaData.c b/arch/ppc64/kernel/pacaData.c
index 6182a2cd90a5..33a2d8db3f21 100644
--- a/arch/ppc64/kernel/pacaData.c
+++ b/arch/ppc64/kernel/pacaData.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ extern unsigned long __toc_start;
 		.fpregs_in_use = 1,					    \
 		.end_of_quantum = 0xfffffffffffffffful,			    \
 		.slb_count = 64,					    \
+		.vmxregs_in_use = 0,					    \
 	},								    \
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PPC_ISERIES
diff --git a/include/asm-ppc64/lppaca.h b/include/asm-ppc64/lppaca.h
index 70766b5f26c1..9e2a6c0649a0 100644
--- a/include/asm-ppc64/lppaca.h
+++ b/include/asm-ppc64/lppaca.h
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ struct lppaca
 	volatile u32 virtual_decr;	// Virtual DECR for shared procsx78-x7B
 	u16	slb_count;		// # of SLBs to maintain        x7C-x7D
 	u8	idle;			// Indicate OS is idle          x7E
-	u8	reserved5;		// Reserved                     x7F
+	u8	vmxregs_in_use;		// VMX registers in use         x7F
 
 
 //=============================================================================