diff --git a/kernel/irq/proc.c b/kernel/irq/proc.c
index e3a8c9577ba6..a50ddc9417ff 100644
--- a/kernel/irq/proc.c
+++ b/kernel/irq/proc.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <linux/seq_file.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 #include <linux/kernel_stat.h>
+#include <linux/mutex.h>
 
 #include "internals.h"
 
@@ -323,18 +324,29 @@ void register_handler_proc(unsigned int irq, struct irqaction *action)
 
 void register_irq_proc(unsigned int irq, struct irq_desc *desc)
 {
+	static DEFINE_MUTEX(register_lock);
 	char name [MAX_NAMELEN];
 
-	if (!root_irq_dir || (desc->irq_data.chip == &no_irq_chip) || desc->dir)
+	if (!root_irq_dir || (desc->irq_data.chip == &no_irq_chip))
 		return;
 
+	/*
+	 * irq directories are registered only when a handler is
+	 * added, not when the descriptor is created, so multiple
+	 * tasks might try to register at the same time.
+	 */
+	mutex_lock(&register_lock);
+
+	if (desc->dir)
+		goto out_unlock;
+
 	memset(name, 0, MAX_NAMELEN);
 	sprintf(name, "%d", irq);
 
 	/* create /proc/irq/1234 */
 	desc->dir = proc_mkdir(name, root_irq_dir);
 	if (!desc->dir)
-		return;
+		goto out_unlock;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SMP
 	/* create /proc/irq/<irq>/smp_affinity */
@@ -355,6 +367,9 @@ void register_irq_proc(unsigned int irq, struct irq_desc *desc)
 
 	proc_create_data("spurious", 0444, desc->dir,
 			 &irq_spurious_proc_fops, (void *)(long)irq);
+
+out_unlock:
+	mutex_unlock(&register_lock);
 }
 
 void unregister_irq_proc(unsigned int irq, struct irq_desc *desc)