diff --git a/drivers/net/e1000e/ich8lan.c b/drivers/net/e1000e/ich8lan.c
index 2451dc8aef70df1c6cbd8e4a8ec7e9f07f14ebbd..aaaaf2ca4084fdf1f88de5580209056ea7f5c408 100644
--- a/drivers/net/e1000e/ich8lan.c
+++ b/drivers/net/e1000e/ich8lan.c
@@ -577,13 +577,40 @@ static s32 e1000_get_variants_ich8lan(struct e1000_adapter *adapter)
 
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(nvm_mutex);
 
+/**
+ *  e1000_acquire_nvm_ich8lan - Acquire NVM mutex
+ *  @hw: pointer to the HW structure
+ *
+ *  Acquires the mutex for performing NVM operations.
+ **/
+static s32 e1000_acquire_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&nvm_mutex);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ *  e1000_release_nvm_ich8lan - Release NVM mutex
+ *  @hw: pointer to the HW structure
+ *
+ *  Releases the mutex used while performing NVM operations.
+ **/
+static void e1000_release_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
+{
+	mutex_unlock(&nvm_mutex);
+
+	return;
+}
+
+static DEFINE_MUTEX(swflag_mutex);
+
 /**
  *  e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan - Acquire software control flag
  *  @hw: pointer to the HW structure
  *
- *  Acquires the software control flag for performing NVM and PHY
- *  operations.  This is a function pointer entry point only called by
- *  read/write routines for the PHY and NVM parts.
+ *  Acquires the software control flag for performing PHY and select
+ *  MAC CSR accesses.
  **/
 static s32 e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 {
@@ -592,7 +619,7 @@ static s32 e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 
 	might_sleep();
 
-	mutex_lock(&nvm_mutex);
+	mutex_lock(&swflag_mutex);
 
 	while (timeout) {
 		extcnf_ctrl = er32(EXTCNF_CTRL);
@@ -633,7 +660,7 @@ static s32 e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 
 out:
 	if (ret_val)
-		mutex_unlock(&nvm_mutex);
+		mutex_unlock(&swflag_mutex);
 
 	return ret_val;
 }
@@ -642,9 +669,8 @@ static s32 e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
  *  e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan - Release software control flag
  *  @hw: pointer to the HW structure
  *
- *  Releases the software control flag for performing NVM and PHY operations.
- *  This is a function pointer entry point only called by read/write
- *  routines for the PHY and NVM parts.
+ *  Releases the software control flag for performing PHY and select
+ *  MAC CSR accesses.
  **/
 static void e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 {
@@ -654,7 +680,9 @@ static void e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	extcnf_ctrl &= ~E1000_EXTCNF_CTRL_SWFLAG;
 	ew32(EXTCNF_CTRL, extcnf_ctrl);
 
-	mutex_unlock(&nvm_mutex);
+	mutex_unlock(&swflag_mutex);
+
+	return;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1360,12 +1388,11 @@ static s32 e1000_read_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw, u16 offset, u16 words,
 	if ((offset >= nvm->word_size) || (words > nvm->word_size - offset) ||
 	    (words == 0)) {
 		hw_dbg(hw, "nvm parameter(s) out of bounds\n");
-		return -E1000_ERR_NVM;
+		ret_val = -E1000_ERR_NVM;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
-	ret_val = e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
-	if (ret_val)
-		goto out;
+	nvm->ops.acquire_nvm(hw);
 
 	ret_val = e1000_valid_nvm_bank_detect_ich8lan(hw, &bank);
 	if (ret_val) {
@@ -1391,7 +1418,7 @@ static s32 e1000_read_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw, u16 offset, u16 words,
 		}
 	}
 
-	e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+	nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 
 out:
 	if (ret_val)
@@ -1649,11 +1676,15 @@ static s32 e1000_write_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw, u16 offset, u16 words,
 		return -E1000_ERR_NVM;
 	}
 
+	nvm->ops.acquire_nvm(hw);
+
 	for (i = 0; i < words; i++) {
 		dev_spec->shadow_ram[offset+i].modified = 1;
 		dev_spec->shadow_ram[offset+i].value = data[i];
 	}
 
+	nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1683,9 +1714,7 @@ static s32 e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	if (nvm->type != e1000_nvm_flash_sw)
 		goto out;
 
-	ret_val = e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
-	if (ret_val)
-		goto out;
+	nvm->ops.acquire_nvm(hw);
 
 	/*
 	 * We're writing to the opposite bank so if we're on bank 1,
@@ -1703,7 +1732,7 @@ static s32 e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 		old_bank_offset = 0;
 		ret_val = e1000_erase_flash_bank_ich8lan(hw, 1);
 		if (ret_val) {
-			e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+			nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 			goto out;
 		}
 	} else {
@@ -1711,7 +1740,7 @@ static s32 e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 		new_bank_offset = 0;
 		ret_val = e1000_erase_flash_bank_ich8lan(hw, 0);
 		if (ret_val) {
-			e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+			nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 			goto out;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1769,7 +1798,7 @@ static s32 e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	if (ret_val) {
 		/* Possibly read-only, see e1000e_write_protect_nvm_ich8lan() */
 		hw_dbg(hw, "Flash commit failed.\n");
-		e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+		nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -1782,7 +1811,7 @@ static s32 e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	act_offset = new_bank_offset + E1000_ICH_NVM_SIG_WORD;
 	ret_val = e1000_read_flash_word_ich8lan(hw, act_offset, &data);
 	if (ret_val) {
-		e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+		nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 		goto out;
 	}
 	data &= 0xBFFF;
@@ -1790,7 +1819,7 @@ static s32 e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 						       act_offset * 2 + 1,
 						       (u8)(data >> 8));
 	if (ret_val) {
-		e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+		nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -1803,7 +1832,7 @@ static s32 e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	act_offset = (old_bank_offset + E1000_ICH_NVM_SIG_WORD) * 2 + 1;
 	ret_val = e1000_retry_write_flash_byte_ich8lan(hw, act_offset, 0);
 	if (ret_val) {
-		e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+		nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -1813,7 +1842,7 @@ static s32 e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 		dev_spec->shadow_ram[i].value = 0xFFFF;
 	}
 
-	e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+	nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 
 	/*
 	 * Reload the EEPROM, or else modifications will not appear
@@ -1877,14 +1906,12 @@ static s32 e1000_validate_nvm_checksum_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
  **/
 void e1000e_write_protect_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 {
+	struct e1000_nvm_info *nvm = &hw->nvm;
 	union ich8_flash_protected_range pr0;
 	union ich8_hws_flash_status hsfsts;
 	u32 gfpreg;
-	s32 ret_val;
 
-	ret_val = e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
-	if (ret_val)
-		return;
+	nvm->ops.acquire_nvm(hw);
 
 	gfpreg = er32flash(ICH_FLASH_GFPREG);
 
@@ -1905,7 +1932,7 @@ void e1000e_write_protect_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 	hsfsts.hsf_status.flockdn = true;
 	ew32flash(ICH_FLASH_HSFSTS, hsfsts.regval);
 
-	e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+	nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -3162,9 +3189,9 @@ static struct e1000_phy_operations ich8_phy_ops = {
 };
 
 static struct e1000_nvm_operations ich8_nvm_ops = {
-	.acquire_nvm		= e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan,
+	.acquire_nvm		= e1000_acquire_nvm_ich8lan,
 	.read_nvm	 	= e1000_read_nvm_ich8lan,
-	.release_nvm		= e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan,
+	.release_nvm		= e1000_release_nvm_ich8lan,
 	.update_nvm		= e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan,
 	.valid_led_default	= e1000_valid_led_default_ich8lan,
 	.validate_nvm		= e1000_validate_nvm_checksum_ich8lan,