diff --git a/arch/arm/plat-omap/mailbox.c b/arch/arm/plat-omap/mailbox.c
index d9aa87c0a921..cc58b44325f2 100644
--- a/arch/arm/plat-omap/mailbox.c
+++ b/arch/arm/plat-omap/mailbox.c
@@ -92,20 +92,25 @@ int omap_mbox_msg_send(struct omap_mbox *mbox, mbox_msg_t msg)
 	struct omap_mbox_queue *mq = mbox->txq;
 	int ret = 0, len;
 
-	spin_lock(&mq->lock);
+	spin_lock_bh(&mq->lock);
 
 	if (kfifo_avail(&mq->fifo) < sizeof(msg)) {
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	if (kfifo_is_empty(&mq->fifo) && !__mbox_poll_for_space(mbox)) {
+		mbox_fifo_write(mbox, msg);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	len = kfifo_in(&mq->fifo, (unsigned char *)&msg, sizeof(msg));
 	WARN_ON(len != sizeof(msg));
 
 	tasklet_schedule(&mbox->txq->tasklet);
 
 out:
-	spin_unlock(&mq->lock);
+	spin_unlock_bh(&mq->lock);
 	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(omap_mbox_msg_send);