diff --git a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_io.c b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_io.c
index 46f477bebe0c..daa76154fb1b 100644
--- a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_io.c
+++ b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_io.c
@@ -555,16 +555,16 @@ int vkdb_printf(enum kdb_msgsrc src, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 	int colcount;
 	int logging, saved_loglevel = 0;
 	int saved_trap_printk;
-	int got_printf_lock = 0;
 	int retlen = 0;
 	int fnd, len;
+	int this_cpu, old_cpu;
+	static int kdb_printf_cpu = -1;
 	char *cp, *cp2, *cphold = NULL, replaced_byte = ' ';
 	char *moreprompt = "more> ";
 	struct console *c = console_drivers;
-	static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(kdb_printf_lock);
 	unsigned long uninitialized_var(flags);
 
-	preempt_disable();
+	local_irq_save(flags);
 	saved_trap_printk = kdb_trap_printk;
 	kdb_trap_printk = 0;
 
@@ -572,12 +572,13 @@ int vkdb_printf(enum kdb_msgsrc src, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 	 * But if any cpu goes recursive in kdb, just print the output,
 	 * even if it is interleaved with any other text.
 	 */
-	if (!KDB_STATE(PRINTF_LOCK)) {
-		KDB_STATE_SET(PRINTF_LOCK);
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&kdb_printf_lock, flags);
-		got_printf_lock = 1;
-	} else {
-		__acquire(kdb_printf_lock);
+	this_cpu = smp_processor_id();
+	for (;;) {
+		old_cpu = cmpxchg(&kdb_printf_cpu, -1, this_cpu);
+		if (old_cpu == -1 || old_cpu == this_cpu)
+			break;
+
+		cpu_relax();
 	}
 
 	diag = kdbgetintenv("LINES", &linecount);
@@ -846,15 +847,10 @@ kdb_print_out:
 	suspend_grep = 0; /* end of what may have been a recursive call */
 	if (logging)
 		console_loglevel = saved_loglevel;
-	if (KDB_STATE(PRINTF_LOCK) && got_printf_lock) {
-		got_printf_lock = 0;
-		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&kdb_printf_lock, flags);
-		KDB_STATE_CLEAR(PRINTF_LOCK);
-	} else {
-		__release(kdb_printf_lock);
-	}
+	/* kdb_printf_cpu locked the code above. */
+	smp_store_release(&kdb_printf_cpu, old_cpu);
 	kdb_trap_printk = saved_trap_printk;
-	preempt_enable();
+	local_irq_restore(flags);
 	return retlen;
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_private.h b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_private.h
index 75014d7f4568..fc224fbcf954 100644
--- a/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_private.h
+++ b/kernel/debug/kdb/kdb_private.h
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ extern int kdb_state;
 #define KDB_STATE_PAGER		0x00000400	/* pager is available */
 #define KDB_STATE_GO_SWITCH	0x00000800	/* go is switching
 						 * back to initial cpu */
-#define KDB_STATE_PRINTF_LOCK	0x00001000	/* Holds kdb_printf lock */
 #define KDB_STATE_WAIT_IPI	0x00002000	/* Waiting for kdb_ipi() NMI */
 #define KDB_STATE_RECURSE	0x00004000	/* Recursive entry to kdb */
 #define KDB_STATE_IP_ADJUSTED	0x00008000	/* Restart IP has been