diff --git a/include/linux/netpoll.h b/include/linux/netpoll.h
index 9d7d8c64f7c8..fa2cb76a7029 100644
--- a/include/linux/netpoll.h
+++ b/include/linux/netpoll.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ struct netpoll_info {
 
 	unsigned long rx_flags;
 	spinlock_t rx_lock;
-	struct mutex dev_lock;
+	struct semaphore dev_lock;
 	struct list_head rx_np; /* netpolls that registered an rx_hook */
 
 	struct sk_buff_head neigh_tx; /* list of neigh requests to reply to */
diff --git a/net/core/netpoll.c b/net/core/netpoll.c
index 209d84253dd5..a5802a8b652f 100644
--- a/net/core/netpoll.c
+++ b/net/core/netpoll.c
@@ -206,17 +206,17 @@ static void netpoll_poll_dev(struct net_device *dev)
 	 * the dev_open/close paths use this to block netpoll activity
 	 * while changing device state
 	 */
-	if (!mutex_trylock(&ni->dev_lock))
+	if (!down_trylock(&ni->dev_lock))
 		return;
 
 	if (!netif_running(dev)) {
-		mutex_unlock(&ni->dev_lock);
+		up(&ni->dev_lock);
 		return;
 	}
 
 	ops = dev->netdev_ops;
 	if (!ops->ndo_poll_controller) {
-		mutex_unlock(&ni->dev_lock);
+		up(&ni->dev_lock);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ static void netpoll_poll_dev(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	poll_napi(dev);
 
-	mutex_unlock(&ni->dev_lock);
+	up(&ni->dev_lock);
 
 	if (dev->flags & IFF_SLAVE) {
 		if (ni) {
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ int netpoll_rx_disable(struct net_device *dev)
 	idx = srcu_read_lock(&netpoll_srcu);
 	ni = srcu_dereference(dev->npinfo, &netpoll_srcu);
 	if (ni)
-		mutex_lock(&ni->dev_lock);
+		down(&ni->dev_lock);
 	srcu_read_unlock(&netpoll_srcu, idx);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ void netpoll_rx_enable(struct net_device *dev)
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	ni = rcu_dereference(dev->npinfo);
 	if (ni)
-		mutex_unlock(&ni->dev_lock);
+		up(&ni->dev_lock);
 	rcu_read_unlock();
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(netpoll_rx_enable);
@@ -1047,7 +1047,7 @@ int __netpoll_setup(struct netpoll *np, struct net_device *ndev, gfp_t gfp)
 		INIT_LIST_HEAD(&npinfo->rx_np);
 
 		spin_lock_init(&npinfo->rx_lock);
-		mutex_init(&npinfo->dev_lock);
+		sema_init(&npinfo->dev_lock, 1);
 		skb_queue_head_init(&npinfo->neigh_tx);
 		skb_queue_head_init(&npinfo->txq);
 		INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&npinfo->tx_work, queue_process);