diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/sun/sunvnet.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/sun/sunvnet.c
index a587179..23c89ab 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/sun/sunvnet.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/sun/sunvnet.c
@@ -488,8 +488,9 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void maybe_tx_wakeup(struct vnet *vp)
+static void maybe_tx_wakeup(unsigned long param)
 {
+	struct vnet *vp = (struct vnet *)param;
 	struct net_device *dev = vp->dev;
 
 	netif_tx_lock(dev);
@@ -586,8 +587,13 @@
 			break;
 	}
 	spin_unlock(&vio->lock);
+	/* Kick off a tasklet to wake the queue.  We cannot call
+	 * maybe_tx_wakeup directly here because we could deadlock on
+	 * netif_tx_lock() with dev_watchdog()
+	 */
 	if (unlikely(tx_wakeup && err != -ECONNRESET))
-		maybe_tx_wakeup(port->vp);
+		tasklet_schedule(&port->vp->vnet_tx_wakeup);
+
 	local_irq_restore(flags);
 }
 
@@ -1070,6 +1076,7 @@
 	vp = netdev_priv(dev);
 
 	spin_lock_init(&vp->lock);
+	tasklet_init(&vp->vnet_tx_wakeup, maybe_tx_wakeup, (unsigned long)vp);
 	vp->dev = dev;
 
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&vp->port_list);
@@ -1129,6 +1136,7 @@
 		vp = list_first_entry(&vnet_list, struct vnet, list);
 		list_del(&vp->list);
 		dev = vp->dev;
+		tasklet_kill(&vp->vnet_tx_wakeup);
 		/* vio_unregister_driver() should have cleaned up port_list */
 		BUG_ON(!list_empty(&vp->port_list));
 		unregister_netdev(dev);