diff --git a/drivers/net/ns83820.c b/drivers/net/ns83820.c
index d0ed8646902f..0e76859c90a2 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ns83820.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ns83820.c
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ static int ns83820_setup_rx(struct net_device *ndev)
 
 		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);
 
@@ -1012,8 +1012,6 @@ static void do_tx_done(struct net_device *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);
@@ -1069,7 +1067,6 @@ static void do_tx_done(struct net_device *ndev)
 		netif_start_queue(ndev);
 		netif_wake_queue(ndev);
 	}
-	spin_unlock_irq(&dev->tx_lock);
 }
 
 static void ns83820_cleanup_tx(struct ns83820 *dev)
@@ -1281,11 +1278,13 @@ static struct ethtool_ops ops = {
 	.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);
@@ -1307,6 +1306,8 @@ static irqreturn_t ns83820_irq(int foo, void *data, struct pt_regs *regs)
 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);
@@ -1321,10 +1322,10 @@ static void ns83820_do_isr(struct net_device *ndev, u32 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);
@@ -1370,16 +1371,18 @@ static void ns83820_do_isr(struct net_device *ndev, u32 isr)
 	 * 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);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1390,10 +1393,10 @@ static void ns83820_do_isr(struct net_device *ndev, u32 isr)
 	 * 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 */
@@ -1455,7 +1458,7 @@ static void ns83820_tx_timeout(struct net_device *ndev)
         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);
@@ -1482,7 +1485,7 @@ static void ns83820_tx_timeout(struct net_device *ndev)
 		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)