diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/netxen/netxen_nic_init.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/netxen/netxen_nic_init.c
index 5c4068353f664e8924f832c3d681ec41f53465c6..8da7c3faf8178c05576c74833fc828f197104f52 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/netxen/netxen_nic_init.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/qlogic/netxen/netxen_nic_init.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void netxen_release_tx_buffers(struct netxen_adapter *adapter)
 	int i, j;
 	struct nx_host_tx_ring *tx_ring = adapter->tx_ring;
 
-	spin_lock(&adapter->tx_clean_lock);
+	spin_lock_bh(&adapter->tx_clean_lock);
 	cmd_buf = tx_ring->cmd_buf_arr;
 	for (i = 0; i < tx_ring->num_desc; i++) {
 		buffrag = cmd_buf->frag_array;
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ void netxen_release_tx_buffers(struct netxen_adapter *adapter)
 		}
 		cmd_buf++;
 	}
-	spin_unlock(&adapter->tx_clean_lock);
+	spin_unlock_bh(&adapter->tx_clean_lock);
 }
 
 void netxen_free_sw_resources(struct netxen_adapter *adapter)