quadlet_t data;
        u64 addr;
        int retval;
+       unsigned long flags;
 
        SBP2_DEBUG_ENTER();
 
        /*
         * Need to make sure orb pointer is written on next command
         */
+       spin_lock_irqsave(&scsi_id->sbp2_command_orb_lock, flags);
        scsi_id->last_orb = NULL;
+       spin_unlock_irqrestore(&scsi_id->sbp2_command_orb_lock, flags);
 
        return 0;
 }
 {
        struct sbp2scsi_host_info *hi = scsi_id->hi;
        struct sbp2_command_orb *command_orb = &command->command_orb;
-       struct node_entry *ne = scsi_id->ne;
-       u64 addr;
+       struct sbp2_command_orb *last_orb;
+       dma_addr_t last_orb_dma;
+       u64 addr = scsi_id->sbp2_command_block_agent_addr;
+       quadlet_t data[2];
+       size_t length;
+       unsigned long flags;
 
        outstanding_orb_incr;
        SBP2_ORB_DEBUG("sending command orb %p, total orbs = %x",
        /*
         * Check to see if there are any previous orbs to use
         */
-       if (scsi_id->last_orb == NULL) {
-               quadlet_t data[2];
-
+       spin_lock_irqsave(&scsi_id->sbp2_command_orb_lock, flags);
+       last_orb = scsi_id->last_orb;
+       last_orb_dma = scsi_id->last_orb_dma;
+       if (!last_orb) {
                /*
-                * Ok, let's write to the target's management agent register
+                * last_orb == NULL means: We know that the target's fetch agent
+                * is not active right now.
                 */
-               addr = scsi_id->sbp2_command_block_agent_addr + SBP2_ORB_POINTER_OFFSET;
+               addr += SBP2_ORB_POINTER_OFFSET;
                data[0] = ORB_SET_NODE_ID(hi->host->node_id);
                data[1] = command->command_orb_dma;
                sbp2util_cpu_to_be32_buffer(data, 8);
-
-               SBP2_ORB_DEBUG("write command agent, command orb %p", command_orb);
-
-               if (sbp2util_node_write_no_wait(ne, addr, data, 8) < 0) {
-                       SBP2_ERR("sbp2util_node_write_no_wait failed.\n");
-                       return -EIO;
-               }
-
-               SBP2_ORB_DEBUG("write command agent complete");
-
-               scsi_id->last_orb = command_orb;
-               scsi_id->last_orb_dma = command->command_orb_dma;
-
+               length = 8;
        } else {
-               quadlet_t data;
-
                /*
-                * We have an orb already sent (maybe or maybe not
-                * processed) that we can append this orb to. So do so,
-                * and ring the doorbell. Have to be very careful
-                * modifying these next orb pointers, as they are accessed
-                * both by the sbp2 device and us.
+                * last_orb != NULL means: We know that the target's fetch agent
+                * is (very probably) not dead or in reset state right now.
+                * We have an ORB already sent that we can append a new one to.
+                * The target's fetch agent may or may not have read this
+                * previous ORB yet.
                 */
-               scsi_id->last_orb->next_ORB_lo =
-                   cpu_to_be32(command->command_orb_dma);
+               pci_dma_sync_single_for_cpu(hi->host->pdev, last_orb_dma,
+                                           sizeof(struct sbp2_command_orb),
+                                           PCI_DMA_BIDIRECTIONAL);
+               last_orb->next_ORB_lo = cpu_to_be32(command->command_orb_dma);
+               wmb();
                /* Tells hardware that this pointer is valid */
-               scsi_id->last_orb->next_ORB_hi = 0x0;
-               pci_dma_sync_single_for_device(hi->host->pdev,
-                                              scsi_id->last_orb_dma,
+               last_orb->next_ORB_hi = 0;
+               pci_dma_sync_single_for_device(hi->host->pdev, last_orb_dma,
                                               sizeof(struct sbp2_command_orb),
                                               PCI_DMA_BIDIRECTIONAL);
+               addr += SBP2_DOORBELL_OFFSET;
+               data[0] = 0;
+               length = 4;
+       }
+       scsi_id->last_orb = command_orb;
+       scsi_id->last_orb_dma = command->command_orb_dma;
+       spin_unlock_irqrestore(&scsi_id->sbp2_command_orb_lock, flags);
 
-               /*
-                * Ring the doorbell
-                */
-               data = cpu_to_be32(command->command_orb_dma);
-               addr = scsi_id->sbp2_command_block_agent_addr + SBP2_DOORBELL_OFFSET;
-
-               SBP2_ORB_DEBUG("ring doorbell, command orb %p", command_orb);
-
-               if (sbp2util_node_write_no_wait(ne, addr, &data, 4) < 0) {
-                       SBP2_ERR("sbp2util_node_write_no_wait failed");
-                       return -EIO;
-               }
-
-               scsi_id->last_orb = command_orb;
-               scsi_id->last_orb_dma = command->command_orb_dma;
-
+       SBP2_ORB_DEBUG("write to %s register, command orb %p",
+                       last_orb ? "DOORBELL" : "ORB_POINTER", command_orb);
+       if (sbp2util_node_write_no_wait(scsi_id->ne, addr, data, length) < 0) {
+               SBP2_ERR("sbp2util_node_write_no_wait failed.\n");
+               return -EIO;
        }
        return 0;
 }
                }
 
                /*
-                * Check here to see if there are no commands in-use. If there are none, we can
-                * null out last orb so that next time around we write directly to the orb pointer...
-                * Quick start saves one 1394 bus transaction.
+                * Check here to see if there are no commands in-use. If there
+                * are none, we know that the fetch agent left the active state
+                * _and_ that we did not reactivate it yet. Therefore clear
+                * last_orb so that next time we write directly to the
+                * ORB_POINTER register. That way the fetch agent does not need
+                * to refetch the next_ORB.
                 */
                spin_lock_irqsave(&scsi_id->sbp2_command_orb_lock, flags);
-               if (list_empty(&scsi_id->sbp2_command_orb_inuse)) {
+               if (list_empty(&scsi_id->sbp2_command_orb_inuse))
                        scsi_id->last_orb = NULL;
-               }
                spin_unlock_irqrestore(&scsi_id->sbp2_command_orb_lock, flags);
 
        } else {