diff --git a/arch/ia64/Kconfig b/arch/ia64/Kconfig
index 39b25a5a591b..db8c2a365b70 100644
--- a/arch/ia64/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/ia64/Kconfig
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ config IA64
 	select ARCH_THREAD_STACK_ALLOCATOR
 	select ARCH_CLOCKSOURCE_DATA
 	select GENERIC_TIME_VSYSCALL
+	select LEGACY_TIMER_TICK
 	select SWIOTLB
 	select SYSCTL_ARCH_UNALIGN_NO_WARN
 	select HAVE_MOD_ARCH_SPECIFIC
diff --git a/arch/ia64/kernel/time.c b/arch/ia64/kernel/time.c
index 7abc5f37bfaf..9431edb08508 100644
--- a/arch/ia64/kernel/time.c
+++ b/arch/ia64/kernel/time.c
@@ -161,40 +161,30 @@ void vtime_account_idle(struct task_struct *tsk)
 static irqreturn_t
 timer_interrupt (int irq, void *dev_id)
 {
-	unsigned long new_itm;
+	unsigned long cur_itm, new_itm, ticks;
 
 	if (cpu_is_offline(smp_processor_id())) {
 		return IRQ_HANDLED;
 	}
 
 	new_itm = local_cpu_data->itm_next;
+	cur_itm = ia64_get_itc();
 
-	if (!time_after(ia64_get_itc(), new_itm))
+	if (!time_after(cur_itm, new_itm)) {
 		printk(KERN_ERR "Oops: timer tick before it's due (itc=%lx,itm=%lx)\n",
-		       ia64_get_itc(), new_itm);
-
-	profile_tick(CPU_PROFILING);
-
-	while (1) {
-		update_process_times(user_mode(get_irq_regs()));
-
-		new_itm += local_cpu_data->itm_delta;
-
-		if (smp_processor_id() == time_keeper_id)
-			xtime_update(1);
-
-		local_cpu_data->itm_next = new_itm;
-
-		if (time_after(new_itm, ia64_get_itc()))
-			break;
-
-		/*
-		 * Allow IPIs to interrupt the timer loop.
-		 */
-		local_irq_enable();
-		local_irq_disable();
+		       cur_itm, new_itm);
+		ticks = 1;
+	} else {
+		ticks = DIV_ROUND_UP(cur_itm - new_itm,
+				     local_cpu_data->itm_delta);
+		new_itm += ticks * local_cpu_data->itm_delta;
 	}
 
+	if (smp_processor_id() != time_keeper_id)
+		ticks = 0;
+
+	legacy_timer_tick(ticks);
+
 	do {
 		/*
 		 * If we're too close to the next clock tick for