diff --git a/drivers/char/nvram.c b/drivers/char/nvram.c
index 9eff426a9286..e89cc1f1c89e 100644
--- a/drivers/char/nvram.c
+++ b/drivers/char/nvram.c
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@
 #include <asm/nvram.h>
 #endif
 
-static DEFINE_MUTEX(nvram_mutex);
 static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(nvram_state_lock);
 static int nvram_open_cnt;	/* #times opened */
 static int nvram_open_mode;	/* special open modes */
@@ -310,11 +309,8 @@ static long nvram_misc_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd,
 		break;
 #ifdef CONFIG_PPC32
 	case IOC_NVRAM_SYNC:
-		if (ppc_md.nvram_sync != NULL) {
-			mutex_lock(&nvram_mutex);
+		if (ppc_md.nvram_sync)
 			ppc_md.nvram_sync();
-			mutex_unlock(&nvram_mutex);
-		}
 		ret = 0;
 		break;
 #endif
@@ -324,11 +320,8 @@ static long nvram_misc_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd,
 		if (!capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 			return -EACCES;
 
-		if (arch_nvram_ops.initialize != NULL) {
-			mutex_lock(&nvram_mutex);
+		if (arch_nvram_ops.initialize)
 			ret = arch_nvram_ops.initialize();
-			mutex_unlock(&nvram_mutex);
-		}
 		break;
 	case NVRAM_SETCKS:
 		/* just set checksum, contents unchanged (maybe useful after
@@ -336,11 +329,8 @@ static long nvram_misc_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd,
 		if (!capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 			return -EACCES;
 
-		if (arch_nvram_ops.set_checksum != NULL) {
-			mutex_lock(&nvram_mutex);
+		if (arch_nvram_ops.set_checksum)
 			ret = arch_nvram_ops.set_checksum();
-			mutex_unlock(&nvram_mutex);
-		}
 		break;
 #endif /* CONFIG_X86 || CONFIG_M68K */
 	}