# \[PATCH v2 2/2\] arm64: insn: drop NOP from steppable hint list

- From: Khaja Hussain Shaik Khaji \<hidden\>
- Date: 2026-02-17 13:39:12 
- List: linux-arm-kernel
- Page: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-arm-kernel/2026/02/3416577
- Thread: https://ratatoskr.run/linux-arm-kernel/2025/11/3284286/t.md

```text
NOP is already handled via instruction emulation and does not require
single-stepping. Drop it from aarch64_insn_is_steppable_hint().

Signed-off-by: Khaja Hussain Shaik Khaji <redacted>
---
 arch/arm64/include/asm/insn.h | 1 -
 1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/insn.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/insn.h
index e1d30ba99d01..9429f76906e0 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/include/asm/insn.h
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/insn.h
@@ -456,7 +456,6 @@ static __always_inline bool aarch64_insn_is_steppable_hint(u32 insn)
 	case AARCH64_INSN_HINT_BTIC:
 	case AARCH64_INSN_HINT_BTIJ:
 	case AARCH64_INSN_HINT_BTIJC:
-	case AARCH64_INSN_HINT_NOP:
 		return true;
 	default:
 		return false;
-- 
2.34.1


```