diff --git a/kernel/sched/core.c b/kernel/sched/core.c
index 63b182e72b67..6c6384153c55 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/core.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/core.c
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ int get_nohz_timer_target(void)
 	int i, cpu = smp_processor_id(), default_cpu = -1;
 	struct sched_domain *sd;
 
-	if (housekeeping_cpu(cpu, HK_FLAG_TIMER)) {
+	if (housekeeping_cpu(cpu, HK_FLAG_TIMER) && cpu_active(cpu)) {
 		if (!idle_cpu(cpu))
 			return cpu;
 		default_cpu = cpu;
@@ -691,8 +691,25 @@ int get_nohz_timer_target(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (default_cpu == -1)
-		default_cpu = housekeeping_any_cpu(HK_FLAG_TIMER);
+	if (default_cpu == -1) {
+		for_each_cpu_and(i, cpu_active_mask,
+				 housekeeping_cpumask(HK_FLAG_TIMER)) {
+			if (cpu == i)
+				continue;
+
+			if (!idle_cpu(i)) {
+				cpu = i;
+				goto unlock;
+			}
+		}
+
+		/* no active, not-idle, housekpeeing CPU found. */
+		default_cpu = cpumask_any(cpu_active_mask);
+
+		if (unlikely(default_cpu >= nr_cpu_ids))
+			goto unlock;
+	}
+
 	cpu = default_cpu;
 unlock:
 	rcu_read_unlock();