diff --git a/hypervisor/arch/x86/cpu.c b/hypervisor/arch/x86/cpu.c
index ce403b7ec..9b68a8d98 100644
--- a/hypervisor/arch/x86/cpu.c
+++ b/hypervisor/arch/x86/cpu.c
@@ -462,7 +462,25 @@ void stop_pcpus(void)
 
 void cpu_do_idle(void)
 {
+#ifdef CONFIG_KEEP_IRQ_DISABLED
 	asm_pause();
+#else
+	uint16_t pcpu_id = get_pcpu_id();
+
+	if (per_cpu(mode_to_idle, pcpu_id) == IDLE_MODE_HLT) {
+		asm_safe_hlt();
+	} else {
+		struct acrn_vcpu *vcpu = get_ever_run_vcpu(pcpu_id);
+
+		if ((vcpu != NULL) && !is_lapic_pt_enabled(vcpu)) {
+			CPU_IRQ_ENABLE_ON_CONFIG();
+		}
+		asm_pause();
+		if ((vcpu != NULL) && !is_lapic_pt_enabled(vcpu)) {
+			CPU_IRQ_DISABLE_ON_CONFIG();
+		}
+	}
+#endif
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/vcpu.c b/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/vcpu.c
index 86ff3ec1a..8a53f97d7 100755
--- a/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/vcpu.c
+++ b/hypervisor/arch/x86/guest/vcpu.c
@@ -528,9 +528,22 @@ int32_t create_vcpu(uint16_t pcpu_id, struct acrn_vm *vm, struct acrn_vcpu **rtn
 		per_cpu(ever_run_vcpu, pcpu_id) = vcpu;
 
 		if (is_lapic_pt_configured(vm) || is_using_init_ipi()) {
+			/* Lapic_pt pCPU does not enable irq in root mode. So it
+			 * should be set to PAUSE idle mode.
+			 * At this point the pCPU is possibly in HLT idle. And the
+			 * kick mode is to be set to INIT kick, which will not be
+			 * able to wake root mode HLT. So a kick(if pCPU is in HLT
+			 * idle, the kick mode is certainly ipi kick) will change
+			 * it to PAUSE idle right away.
+			 */
+			if (per_cpu(mode_to_idle, pcpu_id) == IDLE_MODE_HLT) {
+				per_cpu(mode_to_idle, pcpu_id) = IDLE_MODE_PAUSE;
+				kick_pcpu(pcpu_id);
+			}
 			per_cpu(mode_to_kick_pcpu, pcpu_id) = DEL_MODE_INIT;
 		} else {
 			per_cpu(mode_to_kick_pcpu, pcpu_id) = DEL_MODE_IPI;
+			per_cpu(mode_to_idle, pcpu_id) = IDLE_MODE_HLT;
 		}
 		pr_info("pcpu=%d, kick-mode=%d, use_init_flag=%d", pcpu_id,
 			per_cpu(mode_to_kick_pcpu, pcpu_id), is_using_init_ipi());
diff --git a/hypervisor/common/event.c b/hypervisor/common/event.c
index 7735b3ae3..8de7ceae2 100644
--- a/hypervisor/common/event.c
+++ b/hypervisor/common/event.c
@@ -25,7 +25,13 @@ void reset_event(struct sched_event *event)
 	spinlock_irqrestore_release(&event->lock, rflag);
 }
 
-/* support exclusive waiting only */
+/* support exclusive waiting only
+ *
+ * During wait, the pCPU could be scheduled to run the idle thread when run queue
+ * is empty. Signal_event() can happen when schedule() is in process.
+ * This signal_event is not going to be lost, for the idle thread will always
+ * check need_reschedule() after it is switched to at schedule().
+ */
 void wait_event(struct sched_event *event)
 {
 	uint64_t rflag;
diff --git a/hypervisor/common/hv_main.c b/hypervisor/common/hv_main.c
index 01a0e50ca..3f8b2c949 100644
--- a/hypervisor/common/hv_main.c
+++ b/hypervisor/common/hv_main.c
@@ -86,9 +86,7 @@ void default_idle(__unused struct thread_object *obj)
 		} else if (need_shutdown_vm(pcpu_id)) {
 			shutdown_vm_from_idle(pcpu_id);
 		} else {
-			CPU_IRQ_ENABLE_ON_CONFIG();
 			cpu_do_idle();
-			CPU_IRQ_DISABLE_ON_CONFIG();
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/hypervisor/common/schedule.c b/hypervisor/common/schedule.c
index 422fca744..32cadd7b6 100644
--- a/hypervisor/common/schedule.c
+++ b/hypervisor/common/schedule.c
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ void init_sched(uint16_t pcpu_id)
 {
 	struct sched_control *ctl = &per_cpu(sched_ctl, pcpu_id);
 
+	per_cpu(mode_to_idle, pcpu_id) = IDLE_MODE_HLT;
+	per_cpu(mode_to_kick_pcpu, pcpu_id) = DEL_MODE_IPI;
+
 	spinlock_init(&ctl->scheduler_lock);
 	ctl->flags = 0UL;
 	ctl->curr_obj = NULL;
diff --git a/hypervisor/include/arch/x86/asm/cpu.h b/hypervisor/include/arch/x86/asm/cpu.h
index d9fe71641..5dacf910f 100755
--- a/hypervisor/include/arch/x86/asm/cpu.h
+++ b/hypervisor/include/arch/x86/asm/cpu.h
@@ -533,6 +533,15 @@ static inline void asm_hlt(void)
 	asm volatile ("hlt");
 }
 
+/* interrupts remain inhibited on the instruction boundary following
+ * an execution of STI. This will make sure pending interrupts will
+ * wake hlt.
+ */
+static inline void asm_safe_hlt(void)
+{
+	asm volatile ("sti; hlt; cli" : : : "cc");
+}
+
 /* Disables interrupts on the current CPU */
 #ifdef CONFIG_KEEP_IRQ_DISABLED
 #define CPU_IRQ_DISABLE_ON_CONFIG()		do { } while (0)
diff --git a/hypervisor/include/arch/x86/asm/per_cpu.h b/hypervisor/include/arch/x86/asm/per_cpu.h
index f7cbfe1a5..97e4c058b 100644
--- a/hypervisor/include/arch/x86/asm/per_cpu.h
+++ b/hypervisor/include/arch/x86/asm/per_cpu.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ struct per_cpu_region {
 	uint32_t lapic_ldr;
 	uint32_t softirq_servicing;
 	uint32_t mode_to_kick_pcpu;
+	uint32_t mode_to_idle;
 	struct smp_call_info_data smp_call_info;
 	struct list_head softirq_dev_entry_list;
 #ifdef PROFILING_ON
diff --git a/hypervisor/include/common/schedule.h b/hypervisor/include/common/schedule.h
index 04bb6c872..fa2a6e44f 100644
--- a/hypervisor/include/common/schedule.h
+++ b/hypervisor/include/common/schedule.h
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 #define DEL_MODE_INIT		(1U)
 #define DEL_MODE_IPI		(2U)
 
+#define IDLE_MODE_PAUSE		(1U)
+#define IDLE_MODE_HLT		(2U)
+
 #define THREAD_DATA_SIZE	(256U)
 
 enum thread_object_state {