diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-tegra/cpuidle-tegra20.c b/arch/arm/mach-tegra/cpuidle-tegra20.c
index d6b9b4cf2635..97cae472b097 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-tegra/cpuidle-tegra20.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-tegra/cpuidle-tegra20.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 #include "sleep.h"
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PM_SLEEP
-static bool abort_flag;
+static atomic_t abort_flag;
 static atomic_t abort_barrier;
 static int tegra20_idle_lp2_coupled(struct cpuidle_device *dev,
 				    struct cpuidle_driver *drv,
@@ -171,13 +171,14 @@ static int tegra20_idle_lp2_coupled(struct cpuidle_device *dev,
 	bool entered_lp2 = false;
 
 	if (tegra_pending_sgi())
-		WRITE_ONCE(abort_flag, true);
+		atomic_set(&abort_flag, 1);
 
 	cpuidle_coupled_parallel_barrier(dev, &abort_barrier);
 
-	if (abort_flag) {
+	if (atomic_read(&abort_flag)) {
 		cpuidle_coupled_parallel_barrier(dev, &abort_barrier);
-		abort_flag = false;	/* clean flag for next coming */
+		/* clean flag for next coming */
+		atomic_set(&abort_flag, 0);
 		return -EINTR;
 	}