diff --git a/drivers/misc/sgi-xp/xpc_uv.c b/drivers/misc/sgi-xp/xpc_uv.c
index 89c4b04337d3..7f34b97fd02e 100644
--- a/drivers/misc/sgi-xp/xpc_uv.c
+++ b/drivers/misc/sgi-xp/xpc_uv.c
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ xpc_send_activate_IRQ_uv(struct xpc_partition *part, void *msg, size_t msg_size,
 		if (gru_mq_desc == NULL) {
 			gru_mq_desc = kmalloc(sizeof(struct
 					      gru_message_queue_desc),
-					      GFP_KERNEL);
+					      GFP_ATOMIC);
 			if (gru_mq_desc == NULL) {
 				ret = xpNoMemory;
 				goto done;