diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.c
index 65077c77082a2f042117a0889c2b15099c58eae5..4ef653ae8564c6d2a5120cdaef12db1e1b218b39 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/smsc/smc91x.c
@@ -229,19 +229,22 @@ static inline void PRINT_PKT(u_char *buf, int length) { }
  * if at all, but let's avoid deadlocking the system if the hardware
  * decides to go south.
  */
-#define SMC_WAIT_MMU_BUSY(lp) do {					\
-	if (unlikely(SMC_GET_MMU_CMD(lp) & MC_BUSY)) {		\
-		unsigned long timeout = jiffies + 2;			\
-		while (SMC_GET_MMU_CMD(lp) & MC_BUSY) {		\
-			if (time_after(jiffies, timeout)) {		\
-				netdev_dbg(dev, "timeout %s line %d\n",	\
-					   __FILE__, __LINE__);		\
-				break;					\
-			}						\
-			cpu_relax();					\
-		}							\
-	}								\
-} while (0)
+static void SMC_WAIT_MMU_BUSY(struct smc_local *lp)
+{
+	unsigned long timeout = jiffies + 2;
+	unsigned int count = 10000;
+
+	while (SMC_GET_MMU_CMD(lp) & MC_BUSY) {
+		count--;
+		if (!count || time_after(jiffies, timeout)) {
+			netdev_dbg(lp->dev, "timeout %s line %d\n",
+				   __FILE__, __LINE__);
+			break;
+		}
+	/* TODO : investigate using cond_resched() from allowed contexts */
+	cpu_relax();
+	}
+}
 
 
 /*