diff --git a/arch/arm/include/asm/irq.h b/arch/arm/include/asm/irq.h
index 2721a5814cb93b56e0583722df184440c9497532..5a526afb5f1858615ec02928f2e2010b3a25982d 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/asm/irq.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/irq.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ struct pt_regs;
 extern void migrate_irqs(void);
 
 extern void asm_do_IRQ(unsigned int, struct pt_regs *);
+void handle_IRQ(unsigned int, struct pt_regs *);
 void init_IRQ(void);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/arch/arm/kernel/irq.c b/arch/arm/kernel/irq.c
index 83bbad03fcc6642f7ab5dc0bc1f8bce5a790eac9..dbc1f41575b2c1d87db293290dbbf18b04ecfe42 100644
--- a/arch/arm/kernel/irq.c
+++ b/arch/arm/kernel/irq.c
@@ -67,12 +67,12 @@ int arch_show_interrupts(struct seq_file *p, int prec)
 }
 
 /*
- * do_IRQ handles all hardware IRQ's.  Decoded IRQs should not
- * come via this function.  Instead, they should provide their
- * own 'handler'
+ * handle_IRQ handles all hardware IRQ's.  Decoded IRQs should
+ * not come via this function.  Instead, they should provide their
+ * own 'handler'.  Used by platform code implementing C-based 1st
+ * level decoding.
  */
-asmlinkage void __exception_irq_entry
-asm_do_IRQ(unsigned int irq, struct pt_regs *regs)
+void handle_IRQ(unsigned int irq, struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
 	struct pt_regs *old_regs = set_irq_regs(regs);
 
@@ -97,6 +97,15 @@ asm_do_IRQ(unsigned int irq, struct pt_regs *regs)
 	set_irq_regs(old_regs);
 }
 
+/*
+ * asm_do_IRQ is the interface to be used from assembly code.
+ */
+asmlinkage void __exception_irq_entry
+asm_do_IRQ(unsigned int irq, struct pt_regs *regs)
+{
+	handle_IRQ(irq, regs);
+}
+
 void set_irq_flags(unsigned int irq, unsigned int iflags)
 {
 	unsigned long clr = 0, set = IRQ_NOREQUEST | IRQ_NOPROBE | IRQ_NOAUTOEN;