diff --git a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/eeh.h b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/eeh.h
index e1109fd87ff4b51b9f7a8978fd511c9ac593178d..0c0ac93f422ff78903b9a0b7c6626a3b68453580 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/include/asm/eeh.h
+++ b/arch/powerpc/include/asm/eeh.h
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ struct eeh_ops {
 extern struct eeh_ops *eeh_ops;
 extern int eeh_subsystem_enabled;
 extern struct mutex eeh_mutex;
+extern raw_spinlock_t confirm_error_lock;
 extern int eeh_probe_mode;
 
 #define EEH_PROBE_MODE_DEV	(1<<0)	/* From PCI device	*/
@@ -180,6 +181,16 @@ static inline void eeh_unlock(void)
 	mutex_unlock(&eeh_mutex);
 }
 
+static inline void eeh_serialize_lock(unsigned long *flags)
+{
+	raw_spin_lock_irqsave(&confirm_error_lock, *flags);
+}
+
+static inline void eeh_serialize_unlock(unsigned long flags)
+{
+	raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&confirm_error_lock, flags);
+}
+
 /*
  * Max number of EEH freezes allowed before we consider the device
  * to be permanently disabled.
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/eeh.c b/arch/powerpc/kernel/eeh.c
index 777ecc06af19f5595105d1cd3e410c28ae4c1bf2..81cd0311dee86c3a71bfa79ba40c603b76faa90b 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/eeh.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/eeh.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ int eeh_probe_mode;
 DEFINE_MUTEX(eeh_mutex);
 
 /* Lock to avoid races due to multiple reports of an error */
-static DEFINE_RAW_SPINLOCK(confirm_error_lock);
+DEFINE_RAW_SPINLOCK(confirm_error_lock);
 
 /* Buffer for reporting pci register dumps. Its here in BSS, and
  * not dynamically alloced, so that it ends up in RMO where RTAS
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ int eeh_dev_check_failure(struct eeh_dev *edev)
 	 * in one slot might report errors simultaneously, and we
 	 * only want one error recovery routine running.
 	 */
-	raw_spin_lock_irqsave(&confirm_error_lock, flags);
+	eeh_serialize_lock(&flags);
 	rc = 1;
 	if (pe->state & EEH_PE_ISOLATED) {
 		pe->check_count++;
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ int eeh_dev_check_failure(struct eeh_dev *edev)
 	 * bridges.
 	 */
 	eeh_pe_state_mark(pe, EEH_PE_ISOLATED);
-	raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&confirm_error_lock, flags);
+	eeh_serialize_unlock(flags);
 
 	eeh_send_failure_event(pe);
 
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ int eeh_dev_check_failure(struct eeh_dev *edev)
 	return 1;
 
 dn_unlock:
-	raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&confirm_error_lock, flags);
+	eeh_serialize_unlock(flags);
 	return rc;
 }
 
@@ -702,8 +702,6 @@ int __init eeh_init(void)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	raw_spin_lock_init(&confirm_error_lock);
-
 	/* Initialize EEH event */
 	ret = eeh_event_init();
 	if (ret)