tg3_ape_write32(tp, gnt + 4 * locknum, bit);
 }
 
-static void tg3_ape_send_event(struct tg3 *tp, u32 event)
+static int tg3_ape_event_lock(struct tg3 *tp, u32 timeout_us)
 {
-       int i;
        u32 apedata;
 
-       /* NCSI does not support APE events */
-       if (tg3_flag(tp, APE_HAS_NCSI))
-               return;
+       while (timeout_us) {
+               if (tg3_ape_lock(tp, TG3_APE_LOCK_MEM))
+                       return -EBUSY;
+
+               apedata = tg3_ape_read32(tp, TG3_APE_EVENT_STATUS);
+               if (!(apedata & APE_EVENT_STATUS_EVENT_PENDING))
+                       break;
+
+               tg3_ape_unlock(tp, TG3_APE_LOCK_MEM);
+
+               udelay(10);
+               timeout_us -= (timeout_us > 10) ? 10 : timeout_us;
+       }
+
+       return timeout_us ? 0 : -EBUSY;
+}
+
+static int tg3_ape_send_event(struct tg3 *tp, u32 event)
+{
+       int err;
+       u32 apedata;
 
        apedata = tg3_ape_read32(tp, TG3_APE_SEG_SIG);
        if (apedata != APE_SEG_SIG_MAGIC)
-               return;
+               return -EAGAIN;
 
        apedata = tg3_ape_read32(tp, TG3_APE_FW_STATUS);
        if (!(apedata & APE_FW_STATUS_READY))
-               return;
+               return -EAGAIN;
 
        /* Wait for up to 1 millisecond for APE to service previous event. */
-       for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
-               if (tg3_ape_lock(tp, TG3_APE_LOCK_MEM))
-                       return;
-
-               apedata = tg3_ape_read32(tp, TG3_APE_EVENT_STATUS);
-
-               if (!(apedata & APE_EVENT_STATUS_EVENT_PENDING))
-                       tg3_ape_write32(tp, TG3_APE_EVENT_STATUS,
-                                       event | APE_EVENT_STATUS_EVENT_PENDING);
+       err = tg3_ape_event_lock(tp, 1000);
+       if (err)
+               return err;
 
-               tg3_ape_unlock(tp, TG3_APE_LOCK_MEM);
+       tg3_ape_write32(tp, TG3_APE_EVENT_STATUS,
+                       event | APE_EVENT_STATUS_EVENT_PENDING);
 
-               if (!(apedata & APE_EVENT_STATUS_EVENT_PENDING))
-                       break;
+       tg3_ape_unlock(tp, TG3_APE_LOCK_MEM);
+       tg3_ape_write32(tp, TG3_APE_EVENT, APE_EVENT_1);
 
-               udelay(100);
-       }
-
-       if (!(apedata & APE_EVENT_STATUS_EVENT_PENDING))
-               tg3_ape_write32(tp, TG3_APE_EVENT, APE_EVENT_1);
+       return 0;
 }
 
 static void tg3_ape_driver_state_change(struct tg3 *tp, int kind)