diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/dt_cpu_ftrs.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/dt_cpu_ftrs.c
index 182b4047c1ef..36bc0d5c4f3a 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/dt_cpu_ftrs.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/dt_cpu_ftrs.c
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ static void __init cpufeatures_setup_cpu(void)
 	/* Initialize the base environment -- clear FSCR/HFSCR.  */
 	hv_mode = !!(mfmsr() & MSR_HV);
 	if (hv_mode) {
-		/* CPU_FTR_HVMODE is used early in PACA setup */
 		cur_cpu_spec->cpu_features |= CPU_FTR_HVMODE;
 		mtspr(SPRN_HFSCR, 0);
 	}
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/paca.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/paca.c
index 949eceb254d8..0ee6308541b1 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/paca.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/paca.c
@@ -214,11 +214,15 @@ void setup_paca(struct paca_struct *new_paca)
 	/* On Book3E, initialize the TLB miss exception frames */
 	mtspr(SPRN_SPRG_TLB_EXFRAME, local_paca->extlb);
 #else
-	/* In HV mode, we setup both HPACA and PACA to avoid problems
+	/*
+	 * In HV mode, we setup both HPACA and PACA to avoid problems
 	 * if we do a GET_PACA() before the feature fixups have been
-	 * applied
+	 * applied.
+	 *
+	 * Normally you should test against CPU_FTR_HVMODE, but CPU features
+	 * are not yet set up when we first reach here.
 	 */
-	if (early_cpu_has_feature(CPU_FTR_HVMODE))
+	if (mfmsr() & MSR_HV)
 		mtspr(SPRN_SPRG_HPACA, local_paca);
 #endif
 	mtspr(SPRN_SPRG_PACA, local_paca);
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/setup_64.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/setup_64.c
index e05e6dd67ae6..17886d147dd0 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/setup_64.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/setup_64.c
@@ -285,18 +285,36 @@ void __init early_setup(unsigned long dt_ptr)
 
 	/* -------- printk is _NOT_ safe to use here ! ------- */
 
-	/* Try new device tree based feature discovery ... */
-	if (!dt_cpu_ftrs_init(__va(dt_ptr)))
-		/* Otherwise use the old style CPU table */
-		identify_cpu(0, mfspr(SPRN_PVR));
-
-	/* Assume we're on cpu 0 for now. Don't write to the paca yet! */
+	/*
+	 * Assume we're on cpu 0 for now.
+	 *
+	 * We need to load a PACA very early for a few reasons.
+	 *
+	 * The stack protector canary is stored in the paca, so as soon as we
+	 * call any stack protected code we need r13 pointing somewhere valid.
+	 *
+	 * If we are using kcov it will call in_task() in its instrumentation,
+	 * which relies on the current task from the PACA.
+	 *
+	 * dt_cpu_ftrs_init() calls into generic OF/fdt code, as well as
+	 * printk(), which can trigger both stack protector and kcov.
+	 *
+	 * percpu variables and spin locks also use the paca.
+	 *
+	 * So set up a temporary paca. It will be replaced below once we know
+	 * what CPU we are on.
+	 */
 	initialise_paca(&boot_paca, 0);
 	setup_paca(&boot_paca);
 	fixup_boot_paca();
 
 	/* -------- printk is now safe to use ------- */
 
+	/* Try new device tree based feature discovery ... */
+	if (!dt_cpu_ftrs_init(__va(dt_ptr)))
+		/* Otherwise use the old style CPU table */
+		identify_cpu(0, mfspr(SPRN_PVR));
+
 	/* Enable early debugging if any specified (see udbg.h) */
 	udbg_early_init();