diff --git a/arch/arc/kernel/intc-arcv2.c b/arch/arc/kernel/intc-arcv2.c
index cf90714a676d6baabbdc1beb2119fe530e1c84f3..067ea362fb3efc3bc3a9217aaf197763eafb275e 100644
--- a/arch/arc/kernel/intc-arcv2.c
+++ b/arch/arc/kernel/intc-arcv2.c
@@ -75,13 +75,20 @@ void arc_init_IRQ(void)
 	 * Set a default priority for all available interrupts to prevent
 	 * switching of register banks if Fast IRQ and multiple register banks
 	 * are supported by CPU.
-	 * Also disable all IRQ lines so faulty external hardware won't
+	 * Also disable private-per-core IRQ lines so faulty external HW won't
 	 * trigger interrupt that kernel is not ready to handle.
 	 */
 	for (i = NR_EXCEPTIONS; i < irq_bcr.irqs + NR_EXCEPTIONS; i++) {
 		write_aux_reg(AUX_IRQ_SELECT, i);
 		write_aux_reg(AUX_IRQ_PRIORITY, ARCV2_IRQ_DEF_PRIO);
-		write_aux_reg(AUX_IRQ_ENABLE, 0);
+
+		/*
+		 * Only mask cpu private IRQs here.
+		 * "common" interrupts are masked at IDU, otherwise it would
+		 * need to be unmasked at each cpu, with IPIs
+		 */
+		if (i < FIRST_EXT_IRQ)
+			write_aux_reg(AUX_IRQ_ENABLE, 0);
 	}
 
 	/* setup status32, don't enable intr yet as kernel doesn't want */
diff --git a/arch/arc/kernel/intc-compact.c b/arch/arc/kernel/intc-compact.c
index cef388025adf43aed091869f102e01e1bee72092..47b421fa0147be9604b1c808d378a0108f735b34 100644
--- a/arch/arc/kernel/intc-compact.c
+++ b/arch/arc/kernel/intc-compact.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
  */
 void arc_init_IRQ(void)
 {
-	int level_mask = 0, i;
+	unsigned int level_mask = 0, i;
 
        /* Is timer high priority Interrupt (Level2 in ARCompact jargon) */
 	level_mask |= IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARC_COMPACT_IRQ_LEVELS) << TIMER0_IRQ;