diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_kse.c b/sys/kern/kern_kse.c
index 7123616e235d..1b133a1d4027 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_kse.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_kse.c
@@ -216,9 +216,23 @@ void
 threadinit(void)
 {
 
+#ifndef __ia64__
 	thread_zone = uma_zcreate("THREAD", sizeof (struct thread),
 	    thread_ctor, thread_dtor, thread_init, thread_fini,
 	    UMA_ALIGN_CACHE, 0);
+#else
+	/*
+	 * XXX the ia64 kstack allocator is really lame and is at the mercy
+	 * of contigmallloc().  This hackery is to pre-construct a whole
+	 * pile of thread structures with associated kernel stacks early
+	 * in the system startup while contigmalloc() still works. Once we
+	 * have them, keep them.  Sigh.
+	 */
+	thread_zone = uma_zcreate("THREAD", sizeof (struct thread),
+	    thread_ctor, thread_dtor, thread_init, thread_fini,
+	    UMA_ALIGN_CACHE, UMA_ZONE_NOFREE);
+	uma_prealloc(thread_zone, 512);		/* XXX arbitary */
+#endif
 	ksegrp_zone = uma_zcreate("KSEGRP", sizeof (struct ksegrp),
 	    NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
 	    UMA_ALIGN_CACHE, 0);
diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_thread.c b/sys/kern/kern_thread.c
index 7123616e235d..1b133a1d4027 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_thread.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_thread.c
@@ -216,9 +216,23 @@ void
 threadinit(void)
 {
 
+#ifndef __ia64__
 	thread_zone = uma_zcreate("THREAD", sizeof (struct thread),
 	    thread_ctor, thread_dtor, thread_init, thread_fini,
 	    UMA_ALIGN_CACHE, 0);
+#else
+	/*
+	 * XXX the ia64 kstack allocator is really lame and is at the mercy
+	 * of contigmallloc().  This hackery is to pre-construct a whole
+	 * pile of thread structures with associated kernel stacks early
+	 * in the system startup while contigmalloc() still works. Once we
+	 * have them, keep them.  Sigh.
+	 */
+	thread_zone = uma_zcreate("THREAD", sizeof (struct thread),
+	    thread_ctor, thread_dtor, thread_init, thread_fini,
+	    UMA_ALIGN_CACHE, UMA_ZONE_NOFREE);
+	uma_prealloc(thread_zone, 512);		/* XXX arbitary */
+#endif
 	ksegrp_zone = uma_zcreate("KSEGRP", sizeof (struct ksegrp),
 	    NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL,
 	    UMA_ALIGN_CACHE, 0);