diff --git a/block/genhd.c b/block/genhd.c
index 298ee78c1bdac..9aba654044169 100644
--- a/block/genhd.c
+++ b/block/genhd.c
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ static struct blk_major_name {
 	void (*probe)(dev_t devt);
 } *major_names[BLKDEV_MAJOR_HASH_SIZE];
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(major_names_lock);
+static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(major_names_spinlock);
 
 /* index in the above - for now: assume no multimajor ranges */
 static inline int major_to_index(unsigned major)
@@ -176,11 +177,11 @@ void blkdev_show(struct seq_file *seqf, off_t offset)
 {
 	struct blk_major_name *dp;
 
-	mutex_lock(&major_names_lock);
+	spin_lock(&major_names_spinlock);
 	for (dp = major_names[major_to_index(offset)]; dp; dp = dp->next)
 		if (dp->major == offset)
 			seq_printf(seqf, "%3d %s\n", dp->major, dp->name);
-	mutex_unlock(&major_names_lock);
+	spin_unlock(&major_names_spinlock);
 }
 #endif /* CONFIG_PROC_FS */
 
@@ -252,6 +253,7 @@ int __register_blkdev(unsigned int major, const char *name,
 	p->next = NULL;
 	index = major_to_index(major);
 
+	spin_lock(&major_names_spinlock);
 	for (n = &major_names[index]; *n; n = &(*n)->next) {
 		if ((*n)->major == major)
 			break;
@@ -260,6 +262,7 @@ int __register_blkdev(unsigned int major, const char *name,
 		*n = p;
 	else
 		ret = -EBUSY;
+	spin_unlock(&major_names_spinlock);
 
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		printk("register_blkdev: cannot get major %u for %s\n",
@@ -279,6 +282,7 @@ void unregister_blkdev(unsigned int major, const char *name)
 	int index = major_to_index(major);
 
 	mutex_lock(&major_names_lock);
+	spin_lock(&major_names_spinlock);
 	for (n = &major_names[index]; *n; n = &(*n)->next)
 		if ((*n)->major == major)
 			break;
@@ -288,6 +292,7 @@ void unregister_blkdev(unsigned int major, const char *name)
 		p = *n;
 		*n = p->next;
 	}
+	spin_unlock(&major_names_spinlock);
 	mutex_unlock(&major_names_lock);
 	kfree(p);
 }