diff --git a/activate.c b/activate.c
index 0c1e7a1..10ad57d 100644
--- a/activate.c
+++ b/activate.c
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ static void activate_mapping(struct irq_info *info, void *data __attribute__((un
 		"Cannot change IRQ %i affinity: %s\n",
 		info->irq, strerror(errsave));
 	switch (errsave) {
-	case ENOSPC: /* Specified CPU APIC is full. */
 	case EAGAIN: /* Interrupted by signal. */
 	case EBUSY: /* Affinity change already in progress. */
 	case EINVAL: /* IRQ would be bound to no CPU. */
@@ -107,6 +106,18 @@ static void activate_mapping(struct irq_info *info, void *data __attribute__((un
 	case ENOMEM: /* Kernel cannot allocate CPU mask. */
 		/* Do not blacklist the IRQ on transient errors. */
 		break;
+	case ENOSPC: /* Specified CPU APIC is full. */
+		if (info->assigned_obj->obj_type != OBJ_TYPE_CPU)
+			break;
+
+		if (info->assigned_obj->slots_left > 0)
+			info->assigned_obj->slots_left = -1;
+		else
+			/* Negative slots to count how many we need to free */
+			info->assigned_obj->slots_left--;
+
+		force_rebalance_irq(info, NULL);
+		break;
 	default:
 		/* Any other error is considered permanent. */
 		info->level = BALANCE_NONE;
diff --git a/classify.c b/classify.c
index 08340db..69d72ac 100644
--- a/classify.c
+++ b/classify.c
@@ -883,6 +883,8 @@ static void remove_no_existing_irq(struct irq_info *info, void *data __attribute
 		entry = g_list_find_custom(info->assigned_obj->interrupts, info, compare_ints);
 	    if (entry) {
 			info->assigned_obj->interrupts = g_list_delete_link(info->assigned_obj->interrupts, entry);
+			/* Probe number of slots again, don't guess whether the IRQ left a free slot */
+			info->assigned_obj->slots_left = INT_MAX;
 		}
 	}
 	free_irq(info, NULL);
diff --git a/cputree.c b/cputree.c
index d66be55..6c7b3b4 100644
--- a/cputree.c
+++ b/cputree.c
@@ -595,3 +595,13 @@ int get_cpu_count(void)
 	return g_list_length(cpus);
 }
 
+static void clear_obj_slots(struct topo_obj *d, void *data __attribute__((unused)))
+{
+	d->slots_left = INT_MAX;
+	for_each_object(d->children, clear_obj_slots, NULL);
+}
+
+void clear_slots(void)
+{
+	for_each_object(numa_nodes, clear_obj_slots, NULL);
+}
diff --git a/irqbalance.c b/irqbalance.c
index 7efbc98..1490336 100644
--- a/irqbalance.c
+++ b/irqbalance.c
@@ -298,6 +298,7 @@ gboolean scan(gpointer data __attribute__((unused)))
 		} while (need_rebuild);
 
 		for_each_irq(NULL, force_rebalance_irq, NULL);
+		clear_slots();
 		parse_proc_interrupts();
 		parse_proc_stat();
 		return TRUE;
@@ -695,6 +696,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 	parse_proc_interrupts();
 	parse_proc_stat();
 
+	clear_slots();
+
 #ifdef HAVE_IRQBALANCEUI
 	if (init_socket()) {
 		ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/irqbalance.h b/irqbalance.h
index 76640dd..47e40cc 100644
--- a/irqbalance.h
+++ b/irqbalance.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ extern struct topo_obj *get_numa_node(int nodeid);
 #define cpu_numa_node(cpu) ((cpu)->parent->numa_nodes)
 extern struct topo_obj *find_cpu_core(int cpunr);
 extern int get_cpu_count(void);
+extern void clear_slots(void);
 
 /*
  * irq db functions
diff --git a/irqlist.c b/irqlist.c
index 304b1c6..9483a11 100644
--- a/irqlist.c
+++ b/irqlist.c
@@ -211,8 +211,17 @@ void migrate_irq_obj(struct topo_obj *from, struct topo_obj *to, struct irq_info
 
 	migrate_irq(from_list, to_list, info);
 
-	if (to)
+	if (from) {
+		if (from->slots_left != INT_MAX)
+			from->slots_left++;
+	}
+
+	if (to) {
+		if (to->slots_left != INT_MAX)
+			to->slots_left--;
+
 		to->load += info->load + 1;
+	}
 
 	info->assigned_obj = to;
 }
diff --git a/placement.c b/placement.c
index f156e0e..3276dea 100644
--- a/placement.c
+++ b/placement.c
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ static void find_best_object(struct topo_obj *d, void *data)
 	if (d->powersave_mode)
 		return;
 
+	if (d->slots_left <= 0)
+		return;
+
 	newload = d->load;
 	if (newload < best->best_cost) {
 		best->best = d;
diff --git a/types.h b/types.h
index ea1fae8..5c66bf9 100644
--- a/types.h
+++ b/types.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ struct topo_obj {
 	GList *children;
 	GList *numa_nodes;
 	GList **obj_type_list;
+	int slots_left;
 };
 
 struct irq_info {