static int heartbeat = 60;     /* (secs) Default is 1 minute */
 static unsigned long wdt_status;
 static unsigned long boot_status;
+static spin_lock_t wdt_lock;
 
 #define WDT_TICK_RATE (IXP4XX_PERIPHERAL_BUS_CLOCK * 1000000UL)
 
 #define        WDT_IN_USE              0
 #define        WDT_OK_TO_CLOSE         1
 
-static void
-wdt_enable(void)
+static void wdt_enable(void)
 {
+       spin_lock(&wdt_lock);
        *IXP4XX_OSWK = IXP4XX_WDT_KEY;
        *IXP4XX_OSWE = 0;
        *IXP4XX_OSWT = WDT_TICK_RATE * heartbeat;
        *IXP4XX_OSWE = IXP4XX_WDT_COUNT_ENABLE | IXP4XX_WDT_RESET_ENABLE;
        *IXP4XX_OSWK = 0;
+       spin_unlock(&wdt_lock);
 }
 
-static void
-wdt_disable(void)
+static void wdt_disable(void)
 {
+       spin_lock(&wdt_lock);
        *IXP4XX_OSWK = IXP4XX_WDT_KEY;
        *IXP4XX_OSWE = 0;
        *IXP4XX_OSWK = 0;
+       spin_unlock(&wdt_lock);
 }
 
-static int
-ixp4xx_wdt_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
+static int ixp4xx_wdt_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
        if (test_and_set_bit(WDT_IN_USE, &wdt_status))
                return -EBUSY;
 
        clear_bit(WDT_OK_TO_CLOSE, &wdt_status);
-
        wdt_enable();
-
        return nonseekable_open(inode, file);
 }
 
                }
                wdt_enable();
        }
-
        return len;
 }
 
 };
 
 
-static int
-ixp4xx_wdt_ioctl(struct inode *inode, struct file *file, unsigned int cmd,
-                       unsigned long arg)
+static long ixp4xx_wdt_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd,
+                                                       unsigned long arg)
 {
        int ret = -ENOTTY;
        int time;
        return ret;
 }
 
-static int
-ixp4xx_wdt_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
+static int ixp4xx_wdt_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
 {
-       if (test_bit(WDT_OK_TO_CLOSE, &wdt_status)) {
+       if (test_bit(WDT_OK_TO_CLOSE, &wdt_status))
                wdt_disable();
-       } else {
+       else
                printk(KERN_CRIT "WATCHDOG: Device closed unexpectedly - "
                                        "timer will not stop\n");
-       }
-
        clear_bit(WDT_IN_USE, &wdt_status);
        clear_bit(WDT_OK_TO_CLOSE, &wdt_status);
 
        .owner          = THIS_MODULE,
        .llseek         = no_llseek,
        .write          = ixp4xx_wdt_write,
-       .ioctl          = ixp4xx_wdt_ioctl,
+       .unlocked_ioctl = ixp4xx_wdt_ioctl,
        .open           = ixp4xx_wdt_open,
        .release        = ixp4xx_wdt_release,
 };
 
                return -ENODEV;
        }
-
+       spin_lock_init(&wdt_lock);
+       boot_status = (*IXP4XX_OSST & IXP4XX_OSST_TIMER_WARM_RESET) ?
+                       WDIOF_CARDRESET : 0;
        ret = misc_register(&ixp4xx_wdt_miscdev);
        if (ret == 0)
                printk("IXP4xx Watchdog Timer: heartbeat %d sec\n", heartbeat);
-
-       boot_status = (*IXP4XX_OSST & IXP4XX_OSST_TIMER_WARM_RESET) ?
-                       WDIOF_CARDRESET : 0;
-
        return ret;
 }