CX18_WARN("Ack struct = %d for %s\n",
                        mb->args[2], s->name);
        id = read_enc(off);
-       buf = cx18_queue_find_buf(s, id, read_enc(off + 4));
+       buf = cx18_queue_get_buf_irq(s, id, read_enc(off + 4));
        CX18_DEBUG_HI_DMA("DMA DONE for %s (buffer %d)\n", s->name, id);
        if (buf) {
                cx18_buf_sync_for_cpu(s, buf);
 
        return buf;
 }
 
-struct cx18_buffer *cx18_queue_find_buf(struct cx18_stream *s, u32 id,
+struct cx18_buffer *cx18_queue_get_buf_irq(struct cx18_stream *s, u32 id,
        u32 bytesused)
 {
        struct cx18 *cx = s->cx;
        struct list_head *p;
 
+       spin_lock(&s->qlock);
        list_for_each(p, &s->q_free.list) {
                struct cx18_buffer *buf =
                        list_entry(p, struct cx18_buffer, list);
                        continue;
                buf->bytesused = bytesused;
                /* the transport buffers are handled differently,
-                  so there is no need to move them to the full queue */
-               if (s->type == CX18_ENC_STREAM_TYPE_TS)
-                       return buf;
-               s->q_free.buffers--;
-               s->q_free.length -= s->buf_size;
-               s->q_full.buffers++;
-               s->q_full.length += s->buf_size;
-               s->q_full.bytesused += buf->bytesused;
-               list_move_tail(&buf->list, &s->q_full.list);
+                  they are not moved to the full queue */
+               if (s->type != CX18_ENC_STREAM_TYPE_TS) {
+                       s->q_free.buffers--;
+                       s->q_free.length -= s->buf_size;
+                       s->q_full.buffers++;
+                       s->q_full.length += s->buf_size;
+                       s->q_full.bytesused += buf->bytesused;
+                       list_move_tail(&buf->list, &s->q_full.list);
+               }
+               spin_unlock(&s->qlock);
                return buf;
        }
+       spin_unlock(&s->qlock);
        CX18_ERR("Cannot find buffer %d for stream %s\n", id, s->name);
        return NULL;
 }
 
 void cx18_enqueue(struct cx18_stream *s, struct cx18_buffer *buf,
        struct cx18_queue *q);
 struct cx18_buffer *cx18_dequeue(struct cx18_stream *s, struct cx18_queue *q);
-struct cx18_buffer *cx18_queue_find_buf(struct cx18_stream *s, u32 id,
+struct cx18_buffer *cx18_queue_get_buf_irq(struct cx18_stream *s, u32 id,
        u32 bytesused);
 void cx18_flush_queues(struct cx18_stream *s);