diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cq.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cq.c
index a849da92f857..6b8635378f1f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cq.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cq.c
@@ -101,13 +101,19 @@ void mlx4_cq_completion(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 cqn)
 {
 	struct mlx4_cq *cq;
 
+	rcu_read_lock();
 	cq = radix_tree_lookup(&mlx4_priv(dev)->cq_table.tree,
 			       cqn & (dev->caps.num_cqs - 1));
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+
 	if (!cq) {
 		mlx4_dbg(dev, "Completion event for bogus CQ %08x\n", cqn);
 		return;
 	}
 
+	/* Acessing the CQ outside of rcu_read_lock is safe, because
+	 * the CQ is freed only after interrupt handling is completed.
+	 */
 	++cq->arm_sn;
 
 	cq->comp(cq);
@@ -118,23 +124,19 @@ void mlx4_cq_event(struct mlx4_dev *dev, u32 cqn, int event_type)
 	struct mlx4_cq_table *cq_table = &mlx4_priv(dev)->cq_table;
 	struct mlx4_cq *cq;
 
-	spin_lock(&cq_table->lock);
-
+	rcu_read_lock();
 	cq = radix_tree_lookup(&cq_table->tree, cqn & (dev->caps.num_cqs - 1));
-	if (cq)
-		atomic_inc(&cq->refcount);
-
-	spin_unlock(&cq_table->lock);
+	rcu_read_unlock();
 
 	if (!cq) {
-		mlx4_warn(dev, "Async event for bogus CQ %08x\n", cqn);
+		mlx4_dbg(dev, "Async event for bogus CQ %08x\n", cqn);
 		return;
 	}
 
+	/* Acessing the CQ outside of rcu_read_lock is safe, because
+	 * the CQ is freed only after interrupt handling is completed.
+	 */
 	cq->event(cq, event_type);
-
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&cq->refcount))
-		complete(&cq->free);
 }
 
 static int mlx4_SW2HW_CQ(struct mlx4_dev *dev, struct mlx4_cmd_mailbox *mailbox,
@@ -301,9 +303,9 @@ int mlx4_cq_alloc(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int nent,
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
-	spin_lock_irq(&cq_table->lock);
+	spin_lock(&cq_table->lock);
 	err = radix_tree_insert(&cq_table->tree, cq->cqn, cq);
-	spin_unlock_irq(&cq_table->lock);
+	spin_unlock(&cq_table->lock);
 	if (err)
 		goto err_icm;
 
@@ -349,9 +351,9 @@ int mlx4_cq_alloc(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int nent,
 	return 0;
 
 err_radix:
-	spin_lock_irq(&cq_table->lock);
+	spin_lock(&cq_table->lock);
 	radix_tree_delete(&cq_table->tree, cq->cqn);
-	spin_unlock_irq(&cq_table->lock);
+	spin_unlock(&cq_table->lock);
 
 err_icm:
 	mlx4_cq_free_icm(dev, cq->cqn);
@@ -370,15 +372,15 @@ void mlx4_cq_free(struct mlx4_dev *dev, struct mlx4_cq *cq)
 	if (err)
 		mlx4_warn(dev, "HW2SW_CQ failed (%d) for CQN %06x\n", err, cq->cqn);
 
+	spin_lock(&cq_table->lock);
+	radix_tree_delete(&cq_table->tree, cq->cqn);
+	spin_unlock(&cq_table->lock);
+
 	synchronize_irq(priv->eq_table.eq[MLX4_CQ_TO_EQ_VECTOR(cq->vector)].irq);
 	if (priv->eq_table.eq[MLX4_CQ_TO_EQ_VECTOR(cq->vector)].irq !=
 	    priv->eq_table.eq[MLX4_EQ_ASYNC].irq)
 		synchronize_irq(priv->eq_table.eq[MLX4_EQ_ASYNC].irq);
 
-	spin_lock_irq(&cq_table->lock);
-	radix_tree_delete(&cq_table->tree, cq->cqn);
-	spin_unlock_irq(&cq_table->lock);
-
 	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&cq->refcount))
 		complete(&cq->free);
 	wait_for_completion(&cq->free);