writel(dev->IMR_cache, dev->base + IMR);
                writel(1, dev->base + IER);
-               spin_unlock_irq(&dev->misc_lock);
+               spin_unlock(&dev->misc_lock);
 
                kick_rx(ndev);
 
        struct ns83820 *dev = PRIV(ndev);
        u32 cmdsts, tx_done_idx, *desc;
 
-       spin_lock_irq(&dev->tx_lock);
-
        dprintk("do_tx_done(%p)\n", ndev);
        tx_done_idx = dev->tx_done_idx;
        desc = dev->tx_descs + (tx_done_idx * DESC_SIZE);
                netif_start_queue(ndev);
                netif_wake_queue(ndev);
        }
-       spin_unlock_irq(&dev->tx_lock);
 }
 
 static void ns83820_cleanup_tx(struct ns83820 *dev)
        .get_link = ns83820_get_link
 };
 
+/* this function is called in irq context from the ISR */
 static void ns83820_mib_isr(struct ns83820 *dev)
 {
-       spin_lock(&dev->misc_lock);
+       unsigned long flags;
+       spin_lock_irqsave(&dev->misc_lock, flags);
        ns83820_update_stats(dev);
-       spin_unlock(&dev->misc_lock);
+       spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev->misc_lock, flags);
 }
 
 static void ns83820_do_isr(struct net_device *ndev, u32 isr);
 static void ns83820_do_isr(struct net_device *ndev, u32 isr)
 {
        struct ns83820 *dev = PRIV(ndev);
+       unsigned long flags;
+
 #ifdef DEBUG
        if (isr & ~(ISR_PHY | ISR_RXDESC | ISR_RXEARLY | ISR_RXOK | ISR_RXERR | ISR_TXIDLE | ISR_TXOK | ISR_TXDESC))
                Dprintk("odd isr? 0x%08x\n", isr);
        if ((ISR_RXDESC | ISR_RXOK) & isr) {
                prefetch(dev->rx_info.next_rx_desc);
 
-               spin_lock_irq(&dev->misc_lock);
+               spin_lock_irqsave(&dev->misc_lock, flags);
                dev->IMR_cache &= ~(ISR_RXDESC | ISR_RXOK);
                writel(dev->IMR_cache, dev->base + IMR);
-               spin_unlock_irq(&dev->misc_lock);
+               spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev->misc_lock, flags);
 
                tasklet_schedule(&dev->rx_tasklet);
                //rx_irq(ndev);
         * work has accumulated
         */
        if ((ISR_TXDESC | ISR_TXIDLE | ISR_TXOK | ISR_TXERR) & isr) {
+               spin_lock_irqsave(&dev->tx_lock, flags);
                do_tx_done(ndev);
+               spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev->tx_lock, flags);
 
                /* Disable TxOk if there are no outstanding tx packets.
                 */
                if ((dev->tx_done_idx == dev->tx_free_idx) &&
                    (dev->IMR_cache & ISR_TXOK)) {
-                       spin_lock_irq(&dev->misc_lock);
+                       spin_lock_irqsave(&dev->misc_lock, flags);
                        dev->IMR_cache &= ~ISR_TXOK;
                        writel(dev->IMR_cache, dev->base + IMR);
-                       spin_unlock_irq(&dev->misc_lock);
+                       spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev->misc_lock, flags);
                }
        }
 
         * nature are expected, we must enable TxOk.
         */
        if ((ISR_TXIDLE & isr) && (dev->tx_done_idx != dev->tx_free_idx)) {
-               spin_lock_irq(&dev->misc_lock);
+               spin_lock_irqsave(&dev->misc_lock, flags);
                dev->IMR_cache |= ISR_TXOK;
                writel(dev->IMR_cache, dev->base + IMR);
-               spin_unlock_irq(&dev->misc_lock);
+               spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev->misc_lock, flags);
        }
 
        /* MIB interrupt: one of the statistics counters is about to overflow */
         u32 tx_done_idx, *desc;
        unsigned long flags;
 
-       local_irq_save(flags);
+       spin_lock_irqsave(&dev->tx_lock, flags);
 
        tx_done_idx = dev->tx_done_idx;
        desc = dev->tx_descs + (tx_done_idx * DESC_SIZE);
                ndev->name,
                tx_done_idx, dev->tx_free_idx, le32_to_cpu(desc[DESC_CMDSTS]));
 
-       local_irq_restore(flags);
+       spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev->tx_lock, flags);
 }
 
 static void ns83820_tx_watch(unsigned long data)