diff --git a/arch/x86_64/acpi/apic.c b/arch/x86_64/acpi/apic.c
index 5ec13be..b8627af 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/acpi/apic.c
+++ b/arch/x86_64/acpi/apic.c
@@ -89,21 +89,43 @@ kern_status_t local_apic_enable(void)
 static void configure_legacy_pic(void)
 {
 	printk("acpi: APIC unavailable, using 8259 PIC");
-	pit_init(1000);
+	pit_start(1000);
+}
+
+static void ioapic_init(void)
+{
+
+}
+
+static void init_all_ioapic(void)
+{
+	ioapic_init();
 }
 
 kern_status_t apic_init(void)
 {
-	if (check_apic() == 0) {
+	static int bsp_id = -1;
+
+	/* the bootstrap processor will be the first one ro call apic_init().
+	   it is responsible for initialising the I/O APICs */
+	if (bsp_id == -1) {
+		bsp_id = this_cpu();
+	}
+
+	struct acpi_madt *madt = (struct acpi_madt *)acpi_find_sdt(ACPI_SIG_MADT);
+
+	if (check_apic() == 0 || !madt) {
 		configure_legacy_pic();
 		return KERN_UNSUPPORTED;
 	}
 
-	if (local_apic_enable() != KERN_OK) {
-		configure_legacy_pic();
-		return KERN_UNSUPPORTED;
+	if (this_cpu() == bsp_id) {
+		init_all_ioapic();
 	}
 
-	disable_8259();
+	local_apic_enable();
+        disable_8259();
+
+	pit_start(10);
 	return KERN_OK;
 }
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/config.mk b/arch/x86_64/config.mk
index 484fb9a..707302b 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/config.mk
+++ b/arch/x86_64/config.mk
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 LD  := $(SOCKS_ARCH)-elf-gcc
 CC  := $(SOCKS_ARCH)-elf-gcc
+CXX := $(SOCKS_ARCH)-elf-g++
 ASM := $(SOCKS_ARCH)-elf-gcc
 OBJCOPY := $(SOCKS_ARCH)-elf-objcopy
 STRIP := $(SOCKS_ARCH)-elf-strip
 
 CFLAGS   := -ffreestanding -nostdlib
+CXXFLAGS := $(CFLAGS)
 ASMFLAGS := $(CFLAGS)
 LDFLAGS  := -nostdlib
 
@@ -14,5 +16,6 @@ ARCH_LDFLAGS := -z max-page-size=0x1000 -T arch/x86_64/layout.ld
 ARCH_DIR := arch/$(SOCKS_ARCH)
 
 ARCH_C_FILES := $(wildcard $(ARCH_DIR)/*.c) $(wildcard $(ARCH_DIR)/acpi/*.c)
+ARCH_CXX_FILES := $(wildcard $(ARCH_DIR)/*.cpp) $(wildcard $(ARCH_DIR)/acpi/*.cpp)
 ARCH_ASM_FILES := $(wildcard $(ARCH_DIR)/*.S) $(wildcard $(ARCH_DIR)/acpi/*.S)
-ARCH_OBJ := $(addprefix $(BUILD_DIR)/,$(ARCH_C_FILES:.c=.o) $(ARCH_ASM_FILES:.S=.o))
+ARCH_OBJ := $(addprefix $(BUILD_DIR)/,$(ARCH_C_FILES:.c=.o) $(ARCH_CXX_FILES:.cpp=.o) $(ARCH_ASM_FILES:.S=.o))
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/include/arch/irq.h b/arch/x86_64/include/arch/irq.h
index 4aa95e5..65bc3d2 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/include/arch/irq.h
+++ b/arch/x86_64/include/arch/irq.h
@@ -66,5 +66,6 @@ extern int idt_init(struct idt_ptr *idtp);
 extern int idt_load(struct idt_ptr *idtp);
 
 extern void hook_irq(irq_vector_t vec, irq_hook_t *hook);
+extern void unhook_irq(irq_vector_t vec, irq_hook_t *hook);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/include/arch/pit.h b/arch/x86_64/include/arch/pit.h
index 4d46017..f5559a6 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/include/arch/pit.h
+++ b/arch/x86_64/include/arch/pit.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef ARCH_PIT_H_
 #define ARCH_PIT_H_
 
-extern void pit_init(unsigned int hz);
+extern void pit_start(unsigned int hz);
+extern void pit_stop(void);
+extern void pit_wait(unsigned int ticks);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/irq.c b/arch/x86_64/irq.c
index 6ff5123..2fccd86 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/irq.c
+++ b/arch/x86_64/irq.c
@@ -263,3 +263,9 @@ void hook_irq(irq_vector_t vec, irq_hook_t *hook)
 	queue_t *hook_queue = &irq_hooks[vec - IRQ0];
 	queue_push_back(hook_queue, &hook->irq_entry);
 }
+
+void unhook_irq(irq_vector_t vec, irq_hook_t *hook)
+{
+	queue_t *hook_queue = &irq_hooks[vec - IRQ0];
+	queue_delete(hook_queue, &hook->irq_entry);
+}
diff --git a/arch/x86_64/pit.c b/arch/x86_64/pit.c
index b2a35dd..b6b248a 100644
--- a/arch/x86_64/pit.c
+++ b/arch/x86_64/pit.c
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 #include <socks/printk.h>
+#include <socks/cpu.h>
 #include <arch/ports.h>
 #include <arch/irq.h>
 
+static unsigned long long tick_counter = 0;
+
 static int pit_callback(void)
 {
+	tick_counter++;
 	printk("tick");
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -12,7 +16,7 @@ static irq_hook_t pit_irq_hook = {
 	.irq_callback = pit_callback
 };
 
-void pit_init(unsigned int hz)
+void pit_start(unsigned int hz)
 {
 	unsigned int divisor = 1193180 / hz;
 
@@ -24,6 +28,28 @@ void pit_init(unsigned int hz)
 	outportb(0x40, hi);
 
 	hook_irq(IRQ0, &pit_irq_hook);
-
-	printk("clock: 8253 PIT initialised at %uHz", hz);
+}
+
+void pit_stop(void)
+{
+	/* lowest possible frequency */
+	unsigned int divisor = 1193180;
+
+	outportb(0x43, 0x36);
+	uint8_t lo = (uint8_t)(divisor & 0xFF);
+	uint8_t hi = (uint8_t)((divisor >> 8) & 0xFF);
+
+	outportb(0x40, lo);
+	outportb(0x40, hi);
+
+	unhook_irq(IRQ0, &pit_irq_hook);
+}
+
+void pit_wait(unsigned int ticks)
+{
+	unsigned long long end = tick_counter + ticks;
+
+	while (tick_counter < end) {
+		ml_cpu_pause();
+	}
 }