diff --git a/arch/powerpc/platforms/iseries/viopath.c b/arch/powerpc/platforms/iseries/viopath.c
index 7f58e5929a2c..6a0060a5f2ec 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/platforms/iseries/viopath.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/platforms/iseries/viopath.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ static void handleMonitorEvent(struct HvLpEvent *event);
  * if system_state is not SYSTEM_RUNNING, then wait_atomic is used ...
  */
 struct alloc_parms {
-	struct semaphore sem;
+	struct completion done;
 	int number;
 	atomic_t wait_atomic;
 	int used_wait_atomic;
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ static void viopath_donealloc(void *parm, int number)
 	if (parmsp->used_wait_atomic)
 		atomic_set(&parmsp->wait_atomic, 0);
 	else
-		up(&parmsp->sem);
+		complete(&parmsp->done);
 }
 
 static int allocateEvents(HvLpIndex remoteLp, int numEvents)
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ static int allocateEvents(HvLpIndex remoteLp, int numEvents)
 		atomic_set(&parms.wait_atomic, 1);
 	} else {
 		parms.used_wait_atomic = 0;
-		init_MUTEX_LOCKED(&parms.sem);
+		init_completion(&parms.done);
 	}
 	mf_allocate_lp_events(remoteLp, HvLpEvent_Type_VirtualIo, 250,	/* It would be nice to put a real number here! */
 			    numEvents, &viopath_donealloc, &parms);
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ static int allocateEvents(HvLpIndex remoteLp, int numEvents)
 		while (atomic_read(&parms.wait_atomic))
 			mb();
 	} else
-		down(&parms.sem);
+		wait_for_completion(&parms.done);
 	return parms.number;
 }
 
@@ -586,10 +586,10 @@ int viopath_close(HvLpIndex remoteLp, int subtype, int numReq)
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&statuslock, flags);
 
 	parms.used_wait_atomic = 0;
-	init_MUTEX_LOCKED(&parms.sem);
+	init_completion(&parms.done);
 	mf_deallocate_lp_events(remoteLp, HvLpEvent_Type_VirtualIo,
 			      numReq, &viopath_donealloc, &parms);
-	down(&parms.sem);
+	wait_for_completion(&parms.done);
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&statuslock, flags);
 	for (i = 0, numOpen = 0; i < VIO_MAX_SUBTYPES; i++)