diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/arch_cpu.h b/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/arch_cpu.h
index 281ae54a92..7d717d8b90 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/arch_cpu.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/arch/x86/arch_cpu.h
@@ -271,8 +271,8 @@ struct arch_thread;
 
 void __x86_setup_system_time(uint32 conversionFactor,
 	uint32 conversionFactorNsecs, bool conversionFactorNsecsShift);
-void i386_context_switch(struct arch_thread* oldState,
-	struct arch_thread* newState, uint32 newPageDir);
+void x86_context_switch(struct arch_thread* oldState,
+	struct arch_thread* newState);
 void x86_userspace_thread_exit(void);
 void x86_end_userspace_thread_exit(void);
 void x86_enter_userspace(addr_t entry, addr_t stackTop);
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_thread.cpp b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_thread.cpp
index 2628165ce6..65cec6dd4e 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_thread.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_thread.cpp
@@ -370,7 +370,6 @@ arch_thread_context_switch(struct thread *from, struct thread *to)
 		= cpuData->arch.active_paging_structures;
 	VMAddressSpace* toAddressSpace = to->team->address_space;
 
-	uint32 newPageDirectory;
 	X86PagingStructures* toPagingStructures;
 	if (toAddressSpace != NULL
 		&& (toPagingStructures = static_cast<X86VMTranslationMap*>(
@@ -382,23 +381,21 @@ arch_thread_context_switch(struct thread *from, struct thread *to)
 			~((uint32)1 << cpu));
 		atomic_or(&toPagingStructures->active_on_cpus, (uint32)1 << cpu);
 
-		activePagingStructures->RemoveReference();
-// TODO: This might cause deferred deletion, which on SMP machines could happen
-// right now on another CPU!
-
 		// assign the new paging structures to the CPU
 		toPagingStructures->AddReference();
 		cpuData->arch.active_paging_structures = toPagingStructures;
 
-		// get the new page directory
-		newPageDirectory = toPagingStructures->pgdir_phys;
-	} else {
-		newPageDirectory = 0;
-			// this means no change
+		// set the page directory, if it changes
+		uint32 newPageDirectory = toPagingStructures->pgdir_phys;
+		if (newPageDirectory != activePagingStructures->pgdir_phys)
+			x86_swap_pgdir(newPageDirectory);
+
+		// This CPU no longer uses the previous paging structures.
+		activePagingStructures->RemoveReference();
 	}
 
 	gX86SwapFPUFunc(from->arch_info.fpu_state, to->arch_info.fpu_state);
-	i386_context_switch(&from->arch_info, &to->arch_info, newPageDirectory);
+	x86_context_switch(&from->arch_info, &to->arch_info);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_x86.S b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_x86.S
index 5b1516768a..056f170300 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_x86.S
+++ b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_x86.S
@@ -121,25 +121,20 @@ FUNCTION(x86_write_msr):
 	ret
 FUNCTION_END(x86_write_msr)
 
-/* void i386_context_switch(struct arch_thread *old_state,
-	struct arch_thread *new_state, uint32 new_pgdir); */
-FUNCTION(i386_context_switch):
+/* void x86_context_switch(struct arch_thread* oldState,
+	struct arch_thread* newState); */
+FUNCTION(x86_context_switch):
 	pusha					/* pushes 8 words onto the stack */
-	movl	36(%esp),%eax	/* save old_state->current_stack */
+	movl	36(%esp),%eax	/* save oldState->current_stack */
 	movl	%esp,(%eax)
 	pushl	%ss
 	popl	%edx
 	movl	%edx,4(%eax)
-	movl	44(%esp),%eax	/* get possible new pgdir */
-	orl		%eax,%eax		/* is it null? */
-	je		skip_pgdir_swap
-	movl	%eax,%cr3
-skip_pgdir_swap:
-	movl	40(%esp),%eax	/* get new new_state->current_stack */
+	movl	40(%esp),%eax	/* get new newState->current_stack */
 	lss		(%eax),%esp
 	popa
 	ret
-FUNCTION_END(i386_context_switch)
+FUNCTION_END(x86_context_switch)
 
 /* void x86_swap_pgdir(uint32 newPageDir); */
 FUNCTION(x86_swap_pgdir):