diff --git a/drivers/media/rc/rc-core-priv.h b/drivers/media/rc/rc-core-priv.h
index 585d5e52118d538f7fc764d2793bd98384c72b44..577128ad0ae559e10199db4cbe17bd6c0caed155 100644
--- a/drivers/media/rc/rc-core-priv.h
+++ b/drivers/media/rc/rc-core-priv.h
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #define	MAX_IR_EVENT_SIZE	512
 
 #include <linux/slab.h>
-#include <linux/spinlock.h>
 #include <media/rc-core.h>
 
 struct ir_raw_handler {
@@ -37,7 +36,6 @@ struct ir_raw_handler {
 struct ir_raw_event_ctrl {
 	struct list_head		list;		/* to keep track of raw clients */
 	struct task_struct		*thread;
-	spinlock_t			lock;
 	/* fifo for the pulse/space durations */
 	DECLARE_KFIFO(kfifo, struct ir_raw_event, MAX_IR_EVENT_SIZE);
 	ktime_t				last_event;	/* when last event occurred */
diff --git a/drivers/media/rc/rc-ir-raw.c b/drivers/media/rc/rc-ir-raw.c
index 1c42a9f2f2901b417ab7fdd258fdb416546aeeea..0d14410471ba91b23f306cc020a577ab13b28789 100644
--- a/drivers/media/rc/rc-ir-raw.c
+++ b/drivers/media/rc/rc-ir-raw.c
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 #include <linux/mutex.h>
 #include <linux/kmod.h>
 #include <linux/sched.h>
-#include <linux/freezer.h>
 #include "rc-core-priv.h"
 
 /* Used to keep track of IR raw clients, protected by ir_raw_handler_lock */
@@ -34,32 +33,26 @@ static int ir_raw_event_thread(void *data)
 	struct ir_raw_handler *handler;
 	struct ir_raw_event_ctrl *raw = (struct ir_raw_event_ctrl *)data;
 
-	while (!kthread_should_stop()) {
-
-		spin_lock_irq(&raw->lock);
-
-		if (!kfifo_len(&raw->kfifo)) {
-			set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
-
-			if (kthread_should_stop())
-				set_current_state(TASK_RUNNING);
-
-			spin_unlock_irq(&raw->lock);
-			schedule();
-			continue;
+	while (1) {
+		mutex_lock(&ir_raw_handler_lock);
+		while (kfifo_out(&raw->kfifo, &ev, 1)) {
+			list_for_each_entry(handler, &ir_raw_handler_list, list)
+				if (raw->dev->enabled_protocols &
+				    handler->protocols || !handler->protocols)
+					handler->decode(raw->dev, ev);
+			raw->prev_ev = ev;
 		}
+		mutex_unlock(&ir_raw_handler_lock);
 
-		if(!kfifo_out(&raw->kfifo, &ev, 1))
-			dev_err(&raw->dev->dev, "IR event FIFO is empty!\n");
-		spin_unlock_irq(&raw->lock);
+		set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 
-		mutex_lock(&ir_raw_handler_lock);
-		list_for_each_entry(handler, &ir_raw_handler_list, list)
-			if (raw->dev->enabled_protocols & handler->protocols ||
-			    !handler->protocols)
-				handler->decode(raw->dev, ev);
-		raw->prev_ev = ev;
-		mutex_unlock(&ir_raw_handler_lock);
+		if (kthread_should_stop()) {
+			__set_current_state(TASK_RUNNING);
+			break;
+		} else if (!kfifo_is_empty(&raw->kfifo))
+			set_current_state(TASK_RUNNING);
+
+		schedule();
 	}
 
 	return 0;
@@ -218,14 +211,10 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ir_raw_event_set_idle);
  */
 void ir_raw_event_handle(struct rc_dev *dev)
 {
-	unsigned long flags;
-
 	if (!dev->raw)
 		return;
 
-	spin_lock_irqsave(&dev->raw->lock, flags);
 	wake_up_process(dev->raw->thread);
-	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&dev->raw->lock, flags);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ir_raw_event_handle);
 
@@ -269,7 +258,6 @@ int ir_raw_event_register(struct rc_dev *dev)
 	dev->change_protocol = change_protocol;
 	INIT_KFIFO(dev->raw->kfifo);
 
-	spin_lock_init(&dev->raw->lock);
 	dev->raw->thread = kthread_run(ir_raw_event_thread, dev->raw,
 				       "rc%u", dev->minor);