static DEFINE_MUTEX(nvm_mutex);
 
+/**
+ *  e1000_acquire_nvm_ich8lan - Acquire NVM mutex
+ *  @hw: pointer to the HW structure
+ *
+ *  Acquires the mutex for performing NVM operations.
+ **/
+static s32 e1000_acquire_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
+{
+       mutex_lock(&nvm_mutex);
+
+       return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ *  e1000_release_nvm_ich8lan - Release NVM mutex
+ *  @hw: pointer to the HW structure
+ *
+ *  Releases the mutex used while performing NVM operations.
+ **/
+static void e1000_release_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
+{
+       mutex_unlock(&nvm_mutex);
+
+       return;
+}
+
+static DEFINE_MUTEX(swflag_mutex);
+
 /**
  *  e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan - Acquire software control flag
  *  @hw: pointer to the HW structure
  *
- *  Acquires the software control flag for performing NVM and PHY
- *  operations.  This is a function pointer entry point only called by
- *  read/write routines for the PHY and NVM parts.
+ *  Acquires the software control flag for performing PHY and select
+ *  MAC CSR accesses.
  **/
 static s32 e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 {
 
        might_sleep();
 
-       mutex_lock(&nvm_mutex);
+       mutex_lock(&swflag_mutex);
 
        while (timeout) {
                extcnf_ctrl = er32(EXTCNF_CTRL);
 
 out:
        if (ret_val)
-               mutex_unlock(&nvm_mutex);
+               mutex_unlock(&swflag_mutex);
 
        return ret_val;
 }
  *  e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan - Release software control flag
  *  @hw: pointer to the HW structure
  *
- *  Releases the software control flag for performing NVM and PHY operations.
- *  This is a function pointer entry point only called by read/write
- *  routines for the PHY and NVM parts.
+ *  Releases the software control flag for performing PHY and select
+ *  MAC CSR accesses.
  **/
 static void e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 {
        extcnf_ctrl &= ~E1000_EXTCNF_CTRL_SWFLAG;
        ew32(EXTCNF_CTRL, extcnf_ctrl);
 
-       mutex_unlock(&nvm_mutex);
+       mutex_unlock(&swflag_mutex);
+
+       return;
 }
 
 /**
        if ((offset >= nvm->word_size) || (words > nvm->word_size - offset) ||
            (words == 0)) {
                hw_dbg(hw, "nvm parameter(s) out of bounds\n");
-               return -E1000_ERR_NVM;
+               ret_val = -E1000_ERR_NVM;
+               goto out;
        }
 
-       ret_val = e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
-       if (ret_val)
-               goto out;
+       nvm->ops.acquire_nvm(hw);
 
        ret_val = e1000_valid_nvm_bank_detect_ich8lan(hw, &bank);
        if (ret_val) {
                }
        }
 
-       e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+       nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 
 out:
        if (ret_val)
                return -E1000_ERR_NVM;
        }
 
+       nvm->ops.acquire_nvm(hw);
+
        for (i = 0; i < words; i++) {
                dev_spec->shadow_ram[offset+i].modified = 1;
                dev_spec->shadow_ram[offset+i].value = data[i];
        }
 
+       nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
+
        return 0;
 }
 
        if (nvm->type != e1000_nvm_flash_sw)
                goto out;
 
-       ret_val = e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
-       if (ret_val)
-               goto out;
+       nvm->ops.acquire_nvm(hw);
 
        /*
         * We're writing to the opposite bank so if we're on bank 1,
                old_bank_offset = 0;
                ret_val = e1000_erase_flash_bank_ich8lan(hw, 1);
                if (ret_val) {
-                       e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+                       nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
                        goto out;
                }
        } else {
                new_bank_offset = 0;
                ret_val = e1000_erase_flash_bank_ich8lan(hw, 0);
                if (ret_val) {
-                       e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+                       nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
                        goto out;
                }
        }
        if (ret_val) {
                /* Possibly read-only, see e1000e_write_protect_nvm_ich8lan() */
                hw_dbg(hw, "Flash commit failed.\n");
-               e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+               nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
                goto out;
        }
 
        act_offset = new_bank_offset + E1000_ICH_NVM_SIG_WORD;
        ret_val = e1000_read_flash_word_ich8lan(hw, act_offset, &data);
        if (ret_val) {
-               e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+               nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
                goto out;
        }
        data &= 0xBFFF;
                                                       act_offset * 2 + 1,
                                                       (u8)(data >> 8));
        if (ret_val) {
-               e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+               nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
                goto out;
        }
 
        act_offset = (old_bank_offset + E1000_ICH_NVM_SIG_WORD) * 2 + 1;
        ret_val = e1000_retry_write_flash_byte_ich8lan(hw, act_offset, 0);
        if (ret_val) {
-               e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+               nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
                goto out;
        }
 
                dev_spec->shadow_ram[i].value = 0xFFFF;
        }
 
-       e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+       nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 
        /*
         * Reload the EEPROM, or else modifications will not appear
  **/
 void e1000e_write_protect_nvm_ich8lan(struct e1000_hw *hw)
 {
+       struct e1000_nvm_info *nvm = &hw->nvm;
        union ich8_flash_protected_range pr0;
        union ich8_hws_flash_status hsfsts;
        u32 gfpreg;
-       s32 ret_val;
 
-       ret_val = e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
-       if (ret_val)
-               return;
+       nvm->ops.acquire_nvm(hw);
 
        gfpreg = er32flash(ICH_FLASH_GFPREG);
 
        hsfsts.hsf_status.flockdn = true;
        ew32flash(ICH_FLASH_HSFSTS, hsfsts.regval);
 
-       e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan(hw);
+       nvm->ops.release_nvm(hw);
 }
 
 /**
 };
 
 static struct e1000_nvm_operations ich8_nvm_ops = {
-       .acquire_nvm            = e1000_acquire_swflag_ich8lan,
+       .acquire_nvm            = e1000_acquire_nvm_ich8lan,
        .read_nvm               = e1000_read_nvm_ich8lan,
-       .release_nvm            = e1000_release_swflag_ich8lan,
+       .release_nvm            = e1000_release_nvm_ich8lan,
        .update_nvm             = e1000_update_nvm_checksum_ich8lan,
        .valid_led_default      = e1000_valid_led_default_ich8lan,
        .validate_nvm           = e1000_validate_nvm_checksum_ich8lan,