diff -urN linux-2.4.20/kernel/sched.c linux/kernel/sched.c
--- linux-2.4.20/kernel/sched.c	2003-02-17 16:39:11.000000000 +0100
+++ linux/kernel/sched.c	2003-02-17 16:37:17.000000000 +0100
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@
 
 	task_t *migration_thread;
 	struct list_head migration_queue;
+	unsigned long soft_lockup_timestamp;
+	unsigned long soft_lockup_message;
 
 	atomic_t nr_iowait;
 } ____cacheline_aligned;
@@ -2099,6 +2101,60 @@
 
 #endif
 
+void check_softlockup(struct pt_regs *regs)
+{
+	runqueue_t *rq = this_rq();
+
+	if (time_before(rq->soft_lockup_timestamp + 180*HZ, jiffies)) {
+		if (!rq->soft_lockup_message) {
+			rq->soft_lockup_message = 1;
+			printk(KERN_CRIT "kwatchdog detected soft-lockup: kernel looping for more than 180 seconds!\n");
+			show_regs(regs);
+		}
+	} else
+		rq->soft_lockup_message = 0;
+}
+
+static int kdog_thread(void * data)
+{
+	struct sched_param param = { .sched_priority = MAX_RT_PRIO-1 };
+	int cpu = (long) data;
+
+	daemonize();
+	sigfillset(&current->blocked);
+	set_fs(KERNEL_DS);
+
+#if CONFIG_SMP
+	/*
+	 * Either we are running on the right CPU, or there's a
+	 * a migration thread on the target CPU, guaranteed.
+	 */
+	set_cpus_allowed(current, 1UL << cpu);
+#endif
+	setscheduler(0, SCHED_FIFO, &param);
+
+	sprintf(current->comm, "kwatchdog/%d", cpu);
+
+	for (;;) {
+		current->state = TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE;
+		schedule_timeout(HZ);
+		this_rq()->soft_lockup_timestamp = jiffies;
+	}
+}
+
+__init int spawn_kdogd(void)
+{
+	int cpu;
+
+	for (cpu = 0; cpu < smp_num_cpus; cpu++)
+		if (kernel_thread(kdog_thread, (void *)cpu, CLONE_KERNEL) < 0)
+			BUG();
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+__initcall(spawn_kdogd);
+
 
 extern void init_timervecs(void);
 extern void timer_bh(void);
diff -urN linux-2.4.20/kernel/timer.c linux/kernel/timer.c
--- linux-2.4.20/kernel/timer.c	2003-02-17 16:39:11.000000000 +0100
+++ linux/kernel/timer.c	2003-02-17 16:37:17.000000000 +0100
@@ -668,9 +668,12 @@
 	run_timer_list();
 }
 
+extern void check_softlockup(struct pt_regs *regs);
+
 void do_timer(struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
 	(*(unsigned long *)&jiffies)++;
+	check_softlockup(regs);
 #ifndef CONFIG_SMP
 	/* SMP process accounting uses the local APIC timer */