diff --git a/arch/arc/kernel/head.S b/arch/arc/kernel/head.S
index 812f95e..e7fa703 100644
--- a/arch/arc/kernel/head.S
+++ b/arch/arc/kernel/head.S
@@ -50,28 +50,37 @@
 .endm
 
 	.section .init.text, "ax",@progbits
-	.type stext, @function
-	.globl stext
-stext:
-	;-------------------------------------------------------------------
-	; Don't clobber r0-r2 yet. It might have bootloader provided info
-	;-------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+;----------------------------------------------------------------
+; Default Reset Handler (jumped into from Reset vector)
+; - Don't clobber r0,r1,r2 as they might have u-boot provided args
+; - Platforms can override this weak version if needed
+;----------------------------------------------------------------
+WEAK(res_service)
+	j	stext
+END(res_service)
+
+;----------------------------------------------------------------
+; Kernel Entry point
+;----------------------------------------------------------------
+ENTRY(stext)
 
 	CPU_EARLY_SETUP
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
-	; Ensure Boot (Master) proceeds. Others wait in platform dependent way
-	;	IDENTITY Reg [ 3  2  1  0 ]
-	;	(cpu-id)             ^^^	=> Zero for UP ARC700
-	;					=> #Core-ID if SMP (Master 0)
-	; Note that non-boot CPUs might not land here if halt-on-reset and
-	; instead breath life from @first_lines_of_secondary, but we still
-	; need to make sure only boot cpu takes this path.
 	GET_CPU_ID  r5
 	cmp	r5, 0
-	mov.ne	r0, r5
-	jne	arc_platform_smp_wait_to_boot
+	mov.nz	r0, r5
+#ifdef CONFIG_ARC_SMP_HALT_ON_RESET
+	; Non-Master can proceed as system would be booted sufficiently
+	jnz	first_lines_of_secondary
+#else
+	; Non-Masters wait for Master to boot enough and bring them up
+	jnz	arc_platform_smp_wait_to_boot
 #endif
+	; Master falls thru
+#endif
+
 	; Clear BSS before updating any globals
 	; XXX: use ZOL here
 	mov	r5, __bss_start
@@ -102,16 +111,14 @@
 	GET_TSK_STACK_BASE r9, sp	; r9 = tsk, sp = stack base(output)
 
 	j	start_kernel	; "C" entry point
+END(stext)
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
 ;----------------------------------------------------------------
 ;     First lines of code run by secondary before jumping to 'C'
 ;----------------------------------------------------------------
 	.section .text, "ax",@progbits
-	.type first_lines_of_secondary, @function
-	.globl first_lines_of_secondary
-
-first_lines_of_secondary:
+ENTRY(first_lines_of_secondary)
 
 	CPU_EARLY_SETUP
 
@@ -126,5 +133,5 @@
 	GET_TSK_STACK_BASE r0, sp
 
 	j	start_kernel_secondary
-
+END(first_lines_of_secondary)
 #endif