* if system_state is not SYSTEM_RUNNING, then wait_atomic is used ...
  */
 struct alloc_parms {
-       struct semaphore sem;
+       struct completion done;
        int number;
        atomic_t wait_atomic;
        int used_wait_atomic;
        if (parmsp->used_wait_atomic)
                atomic_set(&parmsp->wait_atomic, 0);
        else
-               up(&parmsp->sem);
+               complete(&parmsp->done);
 }
 
 static int allocateEvents(HvLpIndex remoteLp, int numEvents)
                atomic_set(&parms.wait_atomic, 1);
        } else {
                parms.used_wait_atomic = 0;
-               init_MUTEX_LOCKED(&parms.sem);
+               init_completion(&parms.done);
        }
        mf_allocate_lp_events(remoteLp, HvLpEvent_Type_VirtualIo, 250,  /* It would be nice to put a real number here! */
                            numEvents, &viopath_donealloc, &parms);
                while (atomic_read(&parms.wait_atomic))
                        mb();
        } else
-               down(&parms.sem);
+               wait_for_completion(&parms.done);
        return parms.number;
 }
 
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&statuslock, flags);
 
        parms.used_wait_atomic = 0;
-       init_MUTEX_LOCKED(&parms.sem);
+       init_completion(&parms.done);
        mf_deallocate_lp_events(remoteLp, HvLpEvent_Type_VirtualIo,
                              numReq, &viopath_donealloc, &parms);
-       down(&parms.sem);
+       wait_for_completion(&parms.done);
 
        spin_lock_irqsave(&statuslock, flags);
        for (i = 0, numOpen = 0; i < VIO_MAX_SUBTYPES; i++)