diff --git a/include/asm-cris/semaphore-helper.h b/include/asm-cris/semaphore-helper.h
index a8e1e6cb7cd02f816823b22261808e53bbb290bd..27bfeca1b981a5b8fa343a76796aa38ef8f8c90e 100644
--- a/include/asm-cris/semaphore-helper.h
+++ b/include/asm-cris/semaphore-helper.h
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ static inline int waking_non_zero(struct semaphore *sem)
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	local_save_flags(flags);
-	local_irq_disable();
+	local_irq_save(flags);
 	if (read(&sem->waking) > 0) {
 		dec(&sem->waking);
 		ret = 1;
@@ -46,8 +45,7 @@ static inline int waking_non_zero_interruptible(struct semaphore *sem,
 	int ret = 0;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
-	local_save_flags(flags);
-	local_irq_disable();
+	local_irq_save(flags);
 	if (read(&sem->waking) > 0) {
 		dec(&sem->waking);
 		ret = 1;
@@ -64,8 +62,7 @@ static inline int waking_non_zero_trylock(struct semaphore *sem)
         int ret = 1;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
-	local_save_flags(flags);
-	local_irq_disable();
+	local_irq_save(flags);
 	if (read(&sem->waking) <= 0)
 		inc(&sem->count);
 	else {
diff --git a/include/asm-cris/system.h b/include/asm-cris/system.h
index b869f6161aaa1c73e770fb2f238eecc7894654d9..fea0e8d57cb51883f5d0c31202ef33ed089f863d 100644
--- a/include/asm-cris/system.h
+++ b/include/asm-cris/system.h
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ static inline unsigned long __xchg(unsigned long x, volatile void * ptr, int siz
   /* since Etrax doesn't have any atomic xchg instructions, we need to disable
      irq's (if enabled) and do it with move.d's */
   unsigned long flags,temp;
-  local_save_flags(flags); /* save flags, including irq enable bit */
-  local_irq_disable();             /* shut off irq's */
+  local_irq_save(flags); /* save flags, including irq enable bit and shut off irqs */
   switch (size) {
   case 1:
     *((unsigned char *)&temp) = x;