Power management in a multi-processor computer system, including a computer program product for facilitating receiving a task for execution in a high power state, and determining a current power state of a processor in a multi-processor system, the system having a specified power limit. The task is dispatched to the processor if the current power state of the processor is the high power state. If the processor is not in the high power state, then it is determined if moving the processor into the high power state will cause the multi-processor system to exceed the specified power limit. The processor is moved into the high power state in response to determining that moving the processor into the high power state will not cause the multi-processor system to exceed the specified power limit. The task is dispatched to the processor in response to moving the processor into the high power state.