diff --git a/src/object/interrupt.c b/src/object/interrupt.c
index a6d67fc5b8b7b63b2b933a3027f3828bb596229d..7dd615daa02252d92082d9873e142f8c01f30222 100644
--- a/src/object/interrupt.c
+++ b/src/object/interrupt.c
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ deletedIRQHandler(irq_t irq)
 void
 handleInterrupt(irq_t irq)
 {
-    if (irq > maxIRQ) {
+    if (unlikely(irq > maxIRQ)) {
         /* mask, ack and pretend it didn't happen. We assume that because
          * the interrupt controller for the platform returned this IRQ that
          * it is safe to use in mask and ack operations, even though it is