diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/mal.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/mal.c
index 74526002d52b..42027665f2a9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/mal.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/mal.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ int mal_register_commac(struct mal_instance *mal, struct mal_commac *commac)
 {
 	unsigned long flags;
 
+	netdev_lock(mal->napi.dev);
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&mal->lock, flags);
 
 	MAL_DBG(mal, "reg(%08x, %08x)" NL,
@@ -44,18 +45,20 @@ int mal_register_commac(struct mal_instance *mal, struct mal_commac *commac)
 	if ((mal->tx_chan_mask & commac->tx_chan_mask) ||
 	    (mal->rx_chan_mask & commac->rx_chan_mask)) {
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&mal->lock, flags);
+		netdev_unlock(mal->napi.dev);
 		printk(KERN_WARNING "mal%d: COMMAC channels conflict!\n",
 		       mal->index);
 		return -EBUSY;
 	}
 
 	if (list_empty(&mal->list))
-		napi_enable(&mal->napi);
+		napi_enable_locked(&mal->napi);
 	mal->tx_chan_mask |= commac->tx_chan_mask;
 	mal->rx_chan_mask |= commac->rx_chan_mask;
 	list_add(&commac->list, &mal->list);
 
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&mal->lock, flags);
+	netdev_unlock(mal->napi.dev);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -64,7 +67,9 @@ void mal_unregister_commac(struct mal_instance	*mal,
 		struct mal_commac *commac)
 {
 	unsigned long flags;
+	bool disable_napi;
 
+	netdev_lock(mal->napi.dev);
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&mal->lock, flags);
 
 	MAL_DBG(mal, "unreg(%08x, %08x)" NL,
@@ -73,10 +78,12 @@ void mal_unregister_commac(struct mal_instance	*mal,
 	mal->tx_chan_mask &= ~commac->tx_chan_mask;
 	mal->rx_chan_mask &= ~commac->rx_chan_mask;
 	list_del_init(&commac->list);
-	if (list_empty(&mal->list))
-		napi_disable(&mal->napi);
+	disable_napi = list_empty(&mal->list);
 
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&mal->lock, flags);
+	if (disable_napi)
+		napi_disable_locked(&mal->napi);
+	netdev_unlock(mal->napi.dev);
 }
 
 int mal_set_rcbs(struct mal_instance *mal, int channel, unsigned long size)