diff --git a/arch/arm/include/asm/arch_timer.h b/arch/arm/include/asm/arch_timer.h
index 75975d9efd3f20567caac78b3a11929a3f23213a..729f6d98df86a6259fafaeb62792646097c3c028 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/asm/arch_timer.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/arch_timer.h
@@ -106,6 +106,18 @@ static inline u64 arch_counter_get_cntvct(void)
 	asm volatile("mrrc p15, 1, %Q0, %R0, c14" : "=r" (cval));
 	return cval;
 }
+
+static inline void __cpuinit arch_counter_set_user_access(void)
+{
+	u32 cntkctl;
+
+	asm volatile("mrc p15, 0, %0, c14, c1, 0" : "=r" (cntkctl));
+
+	/* disable user access to everything */
+	cntkctl &= ~((3 << 8) | (7 << 0));
+
+	asm volatile("mcr p15, 0, %0, c14, c1, 0" : : "r" (cntkctl));
+}
 #else
 static inline int arch_timer_of_register(void)
 {
diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/arch_timer.c b/arch/arm/kernel/arch_timer.c
index c8dfec052f2d7c42c69a8fad12a2a28548272386..94f503394c5c8eac551234858ced13fd1a2e30c1 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/arch_timer.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/arch_timer.c
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ static int __cpuinit arch_timer_setup(struct clock_event_device *clk)
 			enable_percpu_irq(arch_timer_ppi[PHYS_NONSECURE_PPI], 0);
 	}
 
+	arch_counter_set_user_access();
+
 	return 0;
 }