diff --git a/kernel/host.c b/kernel/host.c
index 6a07b495..a6ac34ec 100644
--- a/kernel/host.c
+++ b/kernel/host.c
@@ -718,9 +718,11 @@ static int syscall_packet_handler(struct ihk_ikc_channel_desc *c,
 		dkprintf("remote page fault,pid=%d,va=%lx,reason=%x\n",
 			 thread->proc->pid, packet->fault_address,
 			 packet->fault_reason|PF_POPULATE);
+		preempt_disable();
 		pckt.err = page_fault_process_vm(thread->vm,
 					(void *)packet->fault_address,
 					packet->fault_reason|PF_POPULATE);
+		preempt_enable();
 
 #ifdef PROFILE_ENABLE
 		if (thread->profile) {
diff --git a/kernel/process.c b/kernel/process.c
index b066dd07..27bdece3 100644
--- a/kernel/process.c
+++ b/kernel/process.c
@@ -2816,6 +2816,7 @@ int populate_process_memory(struct process_vm *vm, void *start, size_t len)
 	uintptr_t addr;
 
 	end = (uintptr_t)start + len;
+	preempt_disable();
 	for (addr = (uintptr_t)start; addr < end; addr += PAGE_SIZE) {
 		error = page_fault_process_vm(vm, (void *)addr, reason);
 		if (error) {
@@ -2829,6 +2830,7 @@ int populate_process_memory(struct process_vm *vm, void *start, size_t len)
 
 	error = 0;
 out:
+	preempt_enable();
 	return error;
 }