diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/eq.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/eq.c
index 8fa41f3082cf..9129ace02560 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/eq.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/eq.c
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ int mlx4_assign_eq(struct mlx4_dev *dev, char* name, int * vector)
 	struct mlx4_priv *priv = mlx4_priv(dev);
 	int vec = 0, err = 0, i;
 
-	spin_lock(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
+	mutex_lock(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
 	for (i = 0; !vec && i < dev->caps.comp_pool; i++) {
 		if (~priv->msix_ctl.pool_bm & 1ULL << i) {
 			priv->msix_ctl.pool_bm |= 1ULL << i;
@@ -1058,7 +1058,7 @@ int mlx4_assign_eq(struct mlx4_dev *dev, char* name, int * vector)
 			eq_set_ci(&priv->eq_table.eq[vec], 1);
 		}
 	}
-	spin_unlock(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
+	mutex_unlock(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
 
 	if (vec) {
 		*vector = vec;
@@ -1079,13 +1079,13 @@ void mlx4_release_eq(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int vec)
 	if (likely(i >= 0)) {
 		/*sanity check , making sure were not trying to free irq's
 		  Belonging to a legacy EQ*/
-		spin_lock(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
+		mutex_lock(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
 		if (priv->msix_ctl.pool_bm & 1ULL << i) {
 			free_irq(priv->eq_table.eq[vec].irq,
 				 &priv->eq_table.eq[vec]);
 			priv->msix_ctl.pool_bm &= ~(1ULL << i);
 		}
-		spin_unlock(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
+		mutex_unlock(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c
index 9c5fbad513f8..5c655a2a3809 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/main.c
@@ -1828,7 +1828,7 @@ slave_start:
 		goto err_master_mfunc;
 
 	priv->msix_ctl.pool_bm = 0;
-	spin_lock_init(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
+	mutex_init(&priv->msix_ctl.pool_lock);
 
 	mlx4_enable_msi_x(dev);
 	if ((mlx4_is_mfunc(dev)) &&
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
index c92269f8c057..28f8251561f4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/mlx4.h
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ struct mlx4_sense {
 
 struct mlx4_msix_ctl {
 	u64		pool_bm;
-	spinlock_t	pool_lock;
+	struct mutex	pool_lock;
 };
 
 struct mlx4_steer {