diff --git a/sys/dev/xen/bus/xen_intr.c b/sys/dev/xen/bus/xen_intr.c
--- a/sys/dev/xen/bus/xen_intr.c
+++ b/sys/dev/xen/bus/xen_intr.c
@@ -270,6 +270,10 @@
 xen_intr_bind_isrc(struct xenisrc *isrc, const char *intr_owner,
     xen_intr_handle_t *const port_handlep)
 {
+#ifdef SMP
+	int error;
+	u_int cpu;
+#endif
 
 	KASSERT(port_handlep != NULL, ("%s: %s: Bad event handle\n", intr_owner,
 	    __func__));
@@ -288,18 +292,43 @@
 	KASSERT(isrc->xi_cookie == NULL,
 	    ("%s: Called with uninitialized cookie", __func__));
 
+#ifdef SMP
+	cpu = isrc->xi_cpu;
+	isrc->xi_cpu = 0; /* initialize what is initially needed */
+#endif
+
 	mtx_lock(&xen_intr_isrc_lock);
 	xen_intr_port_to_isrc[isrc->xi_port] = isrc;
 	mtx_unlock(&xen_intr_isrc_lock);
 
 #ifdef SMP
-	if (isrc->xi_type == EVTCHN_TYPE_PORT) {
+	if (cpu > mp_maxid) {
 		/*
 		 * By default all interrupts are assigned to vCPU#0
 		 * unless specified otherwise, so shuffle them to balance
 		 * the interrupt load.
 		 */
-		xen_intr_assign_cpu(isrc, xen_arch_intr_next_cpu(isrc));
+		cpu = xen_arch_intr_next_cpu(isrc);
+	}
+
+	/* IPI interrupts are bound before the APs are started and CPU_ABSENT()
+	 * will return false.  Hence intr_event_bind() would return EINVAL. */
+	if (isrc->xi_type != EVTCHN_TYPE_IPI) {
+		error = xen_arch_intr_event_bind(isrc, cpu);
+		if (error != 0) { /* *very* unlikely */
+			xen_intr_release_isrc(isrc);
+			return (error);
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (isrc->xi_cpu != cpu) {
+		/*
+		 * Too early in the boot process for the generic interrupt
+		 * code to perform the binding.  Update our event channel
+		 * masks manually so events can't fire on the wrong cpu
+		 * during AP startup.
+		 */
+		xen_intr_assign_cpu(isrc, cpu);
 	}
 #endif
 
@@ -861,6 +890,7 @@
 		return (ENOSPC);
 
 	isrc->xi_type = EVTCHN_TYPE_VIRQ;
+	isrc->xi_cpu = cpu;
 	isrc->xi_virq = virq;
 
 	error = HYPERVISOR_event_channel_op(EVTCHNOP_bind_virq, &bind_virq);
@@ -876,32 +906,14 @@
 	isrc->xi_port = bind_virq.port;
 	error = xen_intr_bind_isrc(isrc, name, port_handlep);
 
-#ifdef SMP
-	if (error == 0)
-		error = xen_arch_intr_event_bind(isrc, cpu);
-#endif
-
 	if (error != 0) {
 		evtchn_close_t close = { .port = bind_virq.port };
 
-		xen_intr_unbind(*port_handlep);
 		if (HYPERVISOR_event_channel_op(EVTCHNOP_close, &close))
 			panic("EVTCHNOP_close failed");
 		return (error);
 	}
 
-#ifdef SMP
-	if (isrc->xi_cpu != cpu) {
-		/*
-		 * Too early in the boot process for the generic interrupt
-		 * code to perform the binding.  Update our event channel
-		 * masks manually so events can't fire on the wrong cpu
-		 * during AP startup.
-		 */
-		xen_intr_assign_cpu(isrc, cpu);
-	}
-#endif
-
 	/*
 	 * The Event Channel API opened this port, so it is
 	 * responsible for closing it automatically on unbind.
@@ -931,6 +943,7 @@
 		return (ENOSPC);
 
 	isrc->xi_type = EVTCHN_TYPE_IPI;
+	isrc->xi_cpu = cpu;
 
 	error = HYPERVISOR_event_channel_op(EVTCHNOP_bind_ipi, &bind_ipi);
 	if (error != 0) {
@@ -947,22 +960,11 @@
 	if (error != 0) {
 		evtchn_close_t close = { .port = bind_ipi.port };
 
-		xen_intr_unbind(*port_handlep);
 		if (HYPERVISOR_event_channel_op(EVTCHNOP_close, &close))
 			panic("EVTCHNOP_close failed");
 		return (error);
 	}
 
-	if (isrc->xi_cpu != cpu) {
-		/*
-		 * Too early in the boot process for the generic interrupt
-		 * code to perform the binding.  Update our event channel
-		 * masks manually so events can't fire on the wrong cpu
-		 * during AP startup.
-		 */
-		xen_intr_assign_cpu(isrc, cpu);
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * The Event Channel API opened this port, so it is
 	 * responsible for closing it automatically on unbind.