diff --git a/drivers/net/forcedeth.c b/drivers/net/forcedeth.c
index 5b68dc2..6905ec9 100644
--- a/drivers/net/forcedeth.c
+++ b/drivers/net/forcedeth.c
@@ -2096,14 +2096,15 @@
 			   ((skb_shinfo(skb)->frags[i].size & (NV_TX2_TSO_MAX_SIZE-1)) ? 1 : 0);
 	}
 
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&np->lock, flags);
 	empty_slots = nv_get_empty_tx_slots(np);
 	if (unlikely(empty_slots <= entries)) {
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&np->lock, flags);
 		netif_stop_queue(dev);
 		np->tx_stop = 1;
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&np->lock, flags);
 		return NETDEV_TX_BUSY;
 	}
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&np->lock, flags);
 
 	start_tx = put_tx = np->put_tx.orig;
 
@@ -2214,14 +2215,15 @@
 			   ((skb_shinfo(skb)->frags[i].size & (NV_TX2_TSO_MAX_SIZE-1)) ? 1 : 0);
 	}
 
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&np->lock, flags);
 	empty_slots = nv_get_empty_tx_slots(np);
 	if (unlikely(empty_slots <= entries)) {
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&np->lock, flags);
 		netif_stop_queue(dev);
 		np->tx_stop = 1;
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&np->lock, flags);
 		return NETDEV_TX_BUSY;
 	}
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&np->lock, flags);
 
 	start_tx = put_tx = np->put_tx.ex;
 	start_tx_ctx = np->put_tx_ctx;