diff --git a/kernel/arch/i386/arch_clock.c b/kernel/arch/i386/arch_clock.c
index 59d06652a..b9439cec6 100644
--- a/kernel/arch/i386/arch_clock.c
+++ b/kernel/arch/i386/arch_clock.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "kernel/interrupt.h"
 #include <minix/u64.h>
 #include "glo.h"
+#include "profile.h"
 
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_APIC
@@ -272,6 +273,9 @@ PUBLIC void context_stop_idle(void)
 
 	if (is_idle)
 		restart_local_timer();
+
+	if (sprofiling)
+		get_cpulocal_var(idle_interrupted) = 1;
 }
 
 PUBLIC u64_t ms_2_cpu_time(unsigned ms)
diff --git a/kernel/arch/i386/klib.S b/kernel/arch/i386/klib.S
index 515ea5ea1..6915501e1 100644
--- a/kernel/arch/i386/klib.S
+++ b/kernel/arch/i386/klib.S
@@ -1030,6 +1030,14 @@ ENTRY(read_ebp)
 	mov	%ebp, %eax
 	ret
 
+ENTRY(interrupts_enable)
+	sti
+	ret
+
+ENTRY(interrupts_disable)
+	cli
+	ret
+
 
 /*
  * void switch_k_stack(void * esp, void (* continuation)(void));
diff --git a/kernel/cpulocals.h b/kernel/cpulocals.h
index 0d3c0ade4..b12978a65 100644
--- a/kernel/cpulocals.h
+++ b/kernel/cpulocals.h
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ DECLARE_CPULOCAL(struct proc *, run_q_head[NR_SCHED_QUEUES]); /* ptrs to ready l
 DECLARE_CPULOCAL(struct proc *, run_q_tail[NR_SCHED_QUEUES]); /* ptrs to ready list tails */
 DECLARE_CPULOCAL(int, cpu_is_idle); /* let the others know that you are idle */
 
+DECLARE_CPULOCAL(volatile int, idle_interrupted); /* to interrupt busy-idle
+						     while profiling */
+
 DECLARE_CPULOCAL(u64_t ,tsc_ctr_switch); /* when did we switched time accounting */
 
 /* last values read from cpu when sending ooq msg to scheduler */
diff --git a/kernel/proc.c b/kernel/proc.c
index 3f541b479..3e416ae4d 100644
--- a/kernel/proc.c
+++ b/kernel/proc.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "vm.h"
 #include "clock.h"
 #include "spinlock.h"
+#include "profile.h"
 
 #include "arch_proto.h"
 
@@ -214,7 +215,18 @@ PRIVATE void idle(void)
 
 	/* start accounting for the idle time */
 	context_stop(proc_addr(KERNEL));
-	halt_cpu();
+	if (!sprofiling)
+		halt_cpu();
+	else {
+		volatile int * v;
+
+		v = get_cpulocal_var_ptr(idle_interrupted);
+		interrupts_enable();
+		while (!*v)
+			arch_pause();
+		interrupts_disable();
+		*v = 0;
+	}
 	/*
 	 * end of accounting for the idle task does not happen here, the kernel
 	 * is handling stuff for quite a while before it gets back here!
diff --git a/kernel/proto.h b/kernel/proto.h
index ba99268a1..b040c8a52 100644
--- a/kernel/proto.h
+++ b/kernel/proto.h
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ _PROTOTYPE( void rm_irq_handler, (const irq_hook_t *hook)		);
 _PROTOTYPE( void enable_irq, (const irq_hook_t *hook)			);
 _PROTOTYPE( int disable_irq, (const irq_hook_t *hook)			);
 
+_PROTOTYPE(void interrupts_enable, (void));
+_PROTOTYPE(void interrupts_disable, (void));
+
 /* debug.c */
 _PROTOTYPE( int runqueues_ok, (void) );
 #ifndef CONFIG_SMP