diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-5000.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-5000.c
index 1527dec7a267..ccaeead29c2f 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-5000.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-5000.c
@@ -63,12 +63,8 @@
 /* NIC configuration for 5000 series */
 static void iwl5000_nic_config(struct iwl_priv *priv)
 {
-	unsigned long flags;
-
 	iwl_rf_config(priv);
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
-
 	/* W/A : NIC is stuck in a reset state after Early PCIe power off
 	 * (PCIe power is lost before PERST# is asserted),
 	 * causing ME FW to lose ownership and not being able to obtain it back.
@@ -76,9 +72,6 @@ static void iwl5000_nic_config(struct iwl_priv *priv)
 	iwl_set_bits_mask_prph(trans(priv), APMG_PS_CTRL_REG,
 				APMG_PS_CTRL_EARLY_PWR_OFF_RESET_DIS,
 				~APMG_PS_CTRL_EARLY_PWR_OFF_RESET_DIS);
-
-
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 }
 
 static struct iwl_sensitivity_ranges iwl5000_sensitivity = {
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-lib.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-lib.c
index 0f8dd0f96fa6..2470ca767589 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-lib.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-lib.c
@@ -710,7 +710,6 @@ int iwlagn_bt_coex_profile_notif(struct iwl_priv *priv,
 				  struct iwl_rx_mem_buffer *rxb,
 				  struct iwl_device_cmd *cmd)
 {
-	unsigned long flags;
 	struct iwl_rx_packet *pkt = rxb_addr(rxb);
 	struct iwl_bt_coex_profile_notif *coex = &pkt->u.bt_coex_profile_notif;
 	struct iwl_bt_uart_msg *uart_msg = &coex->last_bt_uart_msg;
@@ -756,9 +755,7 @@ int iwlagn_bt_coex_profile_notif(struct iwl_priv *priv,
 
 	/* FIXME: based on notification, adjust the prio_boost */
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 	priv->bt_ci_compliance = coex->bt_ci_compliance;
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rs.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rs.c
index a7d67135e3dc..9895b807246b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rs.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rs.c
@@ -870,19 +870,16 @@ static void rs_bt_update_lq(struct iwl_priv *priv, struct iwl_rxon_context *ctx,
 {
 	struct iwl_scale_tbl_info *tbl;
 	bool full_concurrent = priv->bt_full_concurrent;
-	unsigned long flags;
 
 	if (priv->bt_ant_couple_ok) {
 		/*
 		 * Is there a need to switch between
 		 * full concurrency and 3-wire?
 		 */
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 		if (priv->bt_ci_compliance && priv->bt_ant_couple_ok)
 			full_concurrent = true;
 		else
 			full_concurrent = false;
-		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 	}
 	if ((priv->bt_traffic_load != priv->last_bt_traffic_load) ||
 	    (priv->bt_full_concurrent != full_concurrent)) {
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rxon.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rxon.c
index 73653a6cf32d..a8c790028d53 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rxon.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-rxon.c
@@ -590,8 +590,6 @@ int iwlagn_mac_config(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, u32 changed)
 	}
 
 	if (changed & IEEE80211_CONF_CHANGE_CHANNEL) {
-		unsigned long flags;
-
 		ch_info = iwl_get_channel_info(priv, channel->band,
 					       channel->hw_value);
 		if (!is_channel_valid(ch_info)) {
@@ -600,8 +598,6 @@ int iwlagn_mac_config(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, u32 changed)
 			goto out;
 		}
 
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
-
 		for_each_context(priv, ctx) {
 			/* Configure HT40 channels */
 			if (ctx->ht.enabled != conf_is_ht(conf))
@@ -636,8 +632,6 @@ int iwlagn_mac_config(struct ieee80211_hw *hw, u32 changed)
 					       ctx->vif);
 		}
 
-		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
-
 		iwl_update_bcast_stations(priv);
 
 		/*
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-tx.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-tx.c
index 4e69189a631d..2b722ccb730a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-tx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn-tx.c
@@ -259,18 +259,15 @@ int iwlagn_tx_skb(struct iwl_priv *priv, struct sk_buff *skb)
 	struct iwl_rxon_context *ctx = &priv->contexts[IWL_RXON_CTX_BSS];
 	struct iwl_device_cmd *dev_cmd = NULL;
 	struct iwl_tx_cmd *tx_cmd;
-
 	__le16 fc;
 	u8 hdr_len;
 	u16 len, seq_number = 0;
 	u8 sta_id, tid = IWL_MAX_TID_COUNT;
-	unsigned long flags;
 	bool is_agg = false;
 
 	if (info->control.vif)
 		ctx = iwl_rxon_ctx_from_vif(info->control.vif);
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 	if (iwl_is_rfkill(priv->shrd)) {
 		IWL_DEBUG_DROP(priv, "Dropping - RF KILL\n");
 		goto drop_unlock_priv;
@@ -369,7 +366,6 @@ int iwlagn_tx_skb(struct iwl_priv *priv, struct sk_buff *skb)
 	info->driver_data[0] = ctx;
 	info->driver_data[1] = dev_cmd;
 
-	/* irqs already disabled/saved above when locking priv->shrd->lock */
 	spin_lock(&priv->sta_lock);
 
 	if (ieee80211_is_data_qos(fc) && !ieee80211_is_qos_nullfunc(fc)) {
@@ -418,7 +414,6 @@ int iwlagn_tx_skb(struct iwl_priv *priv, struct sk_buff *skb)
 		priv->tid_data[sta_id][tid].seq_number = seq_number;
 
 	spin_unlock(&priv->sta_lock);
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 
 	/*
 	 * Avoid atomic ops if it isn't an associated client.
@@ -437,7 +432,6 @@ drop_unlock_sta:
 		kmem_cache_free(priv->tx_cmd_pool, dev_cmd);
 	spin_unlock(&priv->sta_lock);
 drop_unlock_priv:
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 	return -1;
 }
 
@@ -445,7 +439,6 @@ int iwlagn_tx_agg_stop(struct iwl_priv *priv, struct ieee80211_vif *vif,
 			struct ieee80211_sta *sta, u16 tid)
 {
 	struct iwl_tid_data *tid_data;
-	unsigned long flags;
 	int sta_id;
 
 	sta_id = iwl_sta_id(sta);
@@ -500,9 +493,7 @@ turn_off:
 
 	spin_unlock_bh(&priv->sta_lock);
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 	iwl_trans_tx_agg_disable(trans(priv), sta_id, tid);
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 
 	ieee80211_stop_tx_ba_cb_irqsafe(vif, sta->addr, tid);
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
index 47c788607024..ada9d9e4402b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
@@ -552,13 +552,11 @@ static void iwl_rf_kill_ct_config(struct iwl_priv *priv)
 {
 	struct iwl_ct_kill_config cmd;
 	struct iwl_ct_kill_throttling_config adv_cmd;
-	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
 	iwl_write32(trans(priv), CSR_UCODE_DRV_GP1_CLR,
 		    CSR_UCODE_DRV_GP1_REG_BIT_CT_KILL_EXIT);
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
+
 	priv->thermal_throttle.ct_kill_toggle = false;
 
 	if (cfg(priv)->base_params->support_ct_kill_exit) {
@@ -1232,7 +1230,6 @@ static struct iwl_op_mode *iwl_op_mode_dvm_start(struct iwl_trans *trans)
 	 * we should init now
 	 */
 	spin_lock_init(&trans(priv)->reg_lock);
-	spin_lock_init(&priv->shrd->lock);
 	spin_lock_init(&priv->statistics.lock);
 
 	/***********************
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-dev.h b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-dev.h
index daf233026b5e..5b537dbe0af4 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-dev.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-dev.h
@@ -719,10 +719,6 @@ struct iwl_priv {
 	/*data shared among all the driver's layers */
 	struct iwl_shared *shrd;
 
-	/*
-	 * protects the station table, if shrd->lock and sta_lock are
-	 * needed, shrd->lock must be acquired first
-	 */
 	spinlock_t sta_lock;
 
 	/* ieee device used by generic ieee processing code */
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-mac80211.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-mac80211.c
index 9fba532d35cd..dcee30f0d629 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-mac80211.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-mac80211.c
@@ -779,8 +779,6 @@ static void iwlagn_mac_channel_switch(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	spin_lock_irq(&priv->shrd->lock);
-
 	priv->current_ht_config.smps = conf->smps_mode;
 
 	/* Configure HT40 channels */
@@ -797,8 +795,6 @@ static void iwlagn_mac_channel_switch(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	iwl_set_rxon_ht(priv, ht_conf);
 	iwl_set_flags_for_band(priv, ctx, channel->band, ctx->vif);
 
-	spin_unlock_irq(&priv->shrd->lock);
-
 	iwl_set_rate(priv);
 	/*
 	 * at this point, staging_rxon has the
@@ -1133,7 +1129,6 @@ static int iwlagn_mac_conf_tx(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 	struct iwl_priv *priv = IWL_MAC80211_GET_DVM(hw);
 	struct iwl_vif_priv *vif_priv = (void *)vif->drv_priv;
 	struct iwl_rxon_context *ctx = vif_priv->ctx;
-	unsigned long flags;
 	int q;
 
 	if (WARN_ON(!ctx))
@@ -1153,7 +1148,7 @@ static int iwlagn_mac_conf_tx(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 
 	q = AC_NUM - 1 - queue;
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
+	mutex_lock(&priv->shrd->mutex);
 
 	ctx->qos_data.def_qos_parm.ac[q].cw_min =
 		cpu_to_le16(params->cw_min);
@@ -1165,7 +1160,7 @@ static int iwlagn_mac_conf_tx(struct ieee80211_hw *hw,
 
 	ctx->qos_data.def_qos_parm.ac[q].reserved1 = 0;
 
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->shrd->lock, flags);
+	mutex_unlock(&priv->shrd->mutex);
 
 	IWL_DEBUG_MAC80211(priv, "leave\n");
 	return 0;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-shared.h b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-shared.h
index 3a0f0a4c58d3..7720fc34c278 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-shared.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-shared.h
@@ -388,7 +388,6 @@ struct iwl_shared {
 	struct iwl_nic *nic;
 	struct iwl_hw_params hw_params;
 
-	spinlock_t lock;
 	struct mutex mutex;
 
 	wait_queue_head_t wait_command_queue;