diff --git a/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_cpupause.c b/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_cpupause.c
index 55ffbf9385..3b5b2039d2 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_cpupause.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_cpupause.c
@@ -188,10 +188,11 @@ int arm_pause_handler(int irq, FAR void *context)
 
   /* Check for false alarms.  Such false could occur as a consequence of
    * some deadlock breaking logic that might have already serviced the SG2
-   * interrupt by calling up_cpu_paused.
+   * interrupt by calling up_cpu_paused().  If the pause event has already
+   * been processed with g_cpu_paused[cpu] will not be locked.
    */
 
-  if (spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]))
+  if (!spin_islocked(&g_cpu_paused[cpu]))
     {
       return up_cpu_paused(cpu);
     }