diff --git a/drivers/rtc/interface.c b/drivers/rtc/interface.c
index 4783ec6..6f11f6d 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/interface.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/interface.c
@@ -145,6 +145,13 @@
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rtc_set_alarm);
 
+/**
+ * rtc_update_irq - report RTC periodic, alarm, and/or update irqs
+ * @class_dev: the rtc's class device
+ * @num: how many irqs are being reported (usually one)
+ * @events: mask of RTC_IRQF with one or more of RTC_PF, RTC_AF, RTC_UF
+ * Context: in_interrupt(), irqs blocked
+ */
 void rtc_update_irq(struct class_device *class_dev,
 		unsigned long num, unsigned long events)
 {
@@ -201,12 +208,12 @@
 	if (task == NULL || task->func == NULL)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	spin_lock(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
+	spin_lock_irq(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
 	if (rtc->irq_task == NULL) {
 		rtc->irq_task = task;
 		retval = 0;
 	}
-	spin_unlock(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
+	spin_unlock_irq(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
 
 	return retval;
 }
@@ -216,10 +223,10 @@
 {
 	struct rtc_device *rtc = to_rtc_device(class_dev);
 
-	spin_lock(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
+	spin_lock_irq(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
 	if (rtc->irq_task == task)
 		rtc->irq_task = NULL;
-	spin_unlock(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
+	spin_unlock_irq(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rtc_irq_unregister);
 
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-at91.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-at91.c
index bd61e99..5c8addc 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-at91.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-at91.c
@@ -292,7 +292,8 @@
 					AT91_RTC_CALEV);
 
 	ret = request_irq(AT91_ID_SYS, at91_rtc_interrupt,
-				IRQF_SHARED, "at91_rtc", pdev);
+				IRQF_DISABLED | IRQF_SHARED,
+				"at91_rtc", pdev);
 	if (ret) {
 		printk(KERN_ERR "at91_rtc: IRQ %d already in use.\n",
 				AT91_ID_SYS);
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-dev.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-dev.c
index 3109865..814b9e1 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-dev.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-dev.c
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@
 	int err;
 
 	err = rtc_read_time(&rtc->class_dev, &tm);
-	spin_lock_irq(&rtc->irq_lock);
+
+	local_irq_disable();
+	spin_lock(&rtc->irq_lock);
 	if (rtc->stop_uie_polling || err) {
 		rtc->uie_task_active = 0;
 	} else if (rtc->oldsecs != tm.tm_sec) {
@@ -74,11 +76,11 @@
 	} else if (schedule_work(&rtc->uie_task) == 0) {
 		rtc->uie_task_active = 0;
 	}
-	spin_unlock_irq(&rtc->irq_lock);
+	spin_unlock(&rtc->irq_lock);
 	if (num)
 		rtc_update_irq(&rtc->class_dev, num, RTC_UF | RTC_IRQF);
+	local_irq_enable();
 }
-
 static void rtc_uie_timer(unsigned long data)
 {
 	struct rtc_device *rtc = (struct rtc_device *)data;
@@ -238,10 +240,10 @@
 
 	/* avoid conflicting IRQ users */
 	if (cmd == RTC_PIE_ON || cmd == RTC_PIE_OFF || cmd == RTC_IRQP_SET) {
-		spin_lock(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
+		spin_lock_irq(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
 		if (rtc->irq_task)
 			err = -EBUSY;
-		spin_unlock(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
+		spin_unlock_irq(&rtc->irq_task_lock);
 
 		if (err < 0)
 			return err;
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1553.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1553.c
index 78552e6..001eb11 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1553.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-ds1553.c
@@ -340,7 +340,8 @@
 
 	if (pdata->irq >= 0) {
 		writeb(0, ioaddr + RTC_INTERRUPTS);
-		if (request_irq(pdata->irq, ds1553_rtc_interrupt, IRQF_SHARED,
+		if (request_irq(pdata->irq, ds1553_rtc_interrupt,
+				IRQF_DISABLED | IRQF_SHARED,
 				pdev->name, pdev) < 0) {
 			dev_warn(&pdev->dev, "interrupt not available.\n");
 			pdata->irq = -1;
diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-test.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-test.c
index bc4bd24..6ef9c62 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-test.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-test.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
 	struct rtc_device *rtc = platform_get_drvdata(plat_dev);
 
 	retval = count;
+	local_irq_disable();
 	if (strncmp(buf, "tick", 4) == 0)
 		rtc_update_irq(&rtc->class_dev, 1, RTC_PF | RTC_IRQF);
 	else if (strncmp(buf, "alarm", 5) == 0)
@@ -107,6 +108,7 @@
 		rtc_update_irq(&rtc->class_dev, 1, RTC_UF | RTC_IRQF);
 	else
 		retval = -EINVAL;
+	local_irq_enable();
 
 	return retval;
 }