diff --git a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
index 46d14ac1..5dc1265 100644
--- a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
+++ b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
@@ -221,10 +221,8 @@
 	void                     *send_info;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS
-	/* A list of proc entries for this interface.  This does not
-	   need a lock, only one thread creates it and only one thread
-	   destroys it. */
-	spinlock_t             proc_entry_lock;
+	/* A list of proc entries for this interface. */
+	struct mutex           proc_entry_lock;
 	struct ipmi_proc_entry *proc_entries;
 #endif
 
@@ -1891,11 +1889,11 @@
 		file->write_proc = write_proc;
 		file->owner = owner;
 
-		spin_lock(&smi->proc_entry_lock);
+		mutex_lock(&smi->proc_entry_lock);
 		/* Stick it on the list. */
 		entry->next = smi->proc_entries;
 		smi->proc_entries = entry;
-		spin_unlock(&smi->proc_entry_lock);
+		mutex_unlock(&smi->proc_entry_lock);
 	}
 #endif /* CONFIG_PROC_FS */
 
@@ -1939,7 +1937,7 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS
 	struct ipmi_proc_entry *entry;
 
-	spin_lock(&smi->proc_entry_lock);
+	mutex_lock(&smi->proc_entry_lock);
 	while (smi->proc_entries) {
 		entry = smi->proc_entries;
 		smi->proc_entries = entry->next;
@@ -1948,7 +1946,7 @@
 		kfree(entry->name);
 		kfree(entry);
 	}
-	spin_unlock(&smi->proc_entry_lock);
+	mutex_unlock(&smi->proc_entry_lock);
 	remove_proc_entry(smi->proc_dir_name, proc_ipmi_root);
 #endif /* CONFIG_PROC_FS */
 }
@@ -2679,7 +2677,7 @@
 	}
 	intf->curr_seq = 0;
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS
-	spin_lock_init(&intf->proc_entry_lock);
+	mutex_init(&intf->proc_entry_lock);
 #endif
 	spin_lock_init(&intf->waiting_msgs_lock);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&intf->waiting_msgs);