diff --git a/master/ethernet.c b/master/ethernet.c
index 5080f600..02aed613 100644
--- a/master/ethernet.c
+++ b/master/ethernet.c
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ int ec_eoe_init(
     eoe->tx_queue_size = EC_EOE_TX_QUEUE_SIZE;
     eoe->tx_queued_frames = 0;
 
-    sema_init(&eoe->tx_queue_sem, 1);
     eoe->tx_frame_number = 0xFF;
     memset(&eoe->stats, 0, sizeof(struct net_device_stats));
 
@@ -233,17 +232,20 @@ void ec_eoe_clear(ec_eoe_t *eoe /**< EoE handler */)
 void ec_eoe_flush(ec_eoe_t *eoe /**< EoE handler */)
 {
     ec_eoe_frame_t *frame, *next;
+    struct list_head tx_queue;
 
-    down(&eoe->tx_queue_sem);
+    netif_tx_lock_bh(eoe->dev);
 
-    list_for_each_entry_safe(frame, next, &eoe->tx_queue, queue) {
+    list_replace_init(&eoe->tx_queue, &tx_queue);
+    eoe->tx_queued_frames = 0;
+
+    netif_tx_unlock_bh(eoe->dev);
+
+    list_for_each_entry_safe(frame, next, &tx_queue, queue) {
         list_del(&frame->queue);
         dev_kfree_skb(frame->skb);
         kfree(frame);
     }
-    eoe->tx_queued_frames = 0;
-
-    up(&eoe->tx_queue_sem);
 }
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
@@ -635,10 +637,10 @@ void ec_eoe_state_tx_start(ec_eoe_t *eoe /**< EoE handler */)
         return;
     }
 
-    down(&eoe->tx_queue_sem);
+    netif_tx_lock_bh(eoe->dev);
 
     if (!eoe->tx_queued_frames || list_empty(&eoe->tx_queue)) {
-        up(&eoe->tx_queue_sem);
+        netif_tx_unlock_bh(eoe->dev);
         eoe->tx_idle = 1;
         // no data available.
         // start a new receive immediately.
@@ -659,7 +661,7 @@ void ec_eoe_state_tx_start(ec_eoe_t *eoe /**< EoE handler */)
     }
 
     eoe->tx_queued_frames--;
-    up(&eoe->tx_queue_sem);
+    netif_tx_unlock_bh(eoe->dev);
 
     eoe->tx_idle = 0;
 
@@ -833,14 +835,12 @@ int ec_eoedev_tx(struct sk_buff *skb, /**< transmit socket buffer */
 
     frame->skb = skb;
 
-    down(&eoe->tx_queue_sem);
     list_add_tail(&frame->queue, &eoe->tx_queue);
     eoe->tx_queued_frames++;
     if (eoe->tx_queued_frames == eoe->tx_queue_size) {
         netif_stop_queue(dev);
         eoe->tx_queue_active = 0;
     }
-    up(&eoe->tx_queue_sem);
 
 #if EOE_DEBUG_LEVEL >= 2
     EC_SLAVE_DBG(eoe->slave, 0, "EoE %s TX queued frame"
diff --git a/master/ethernet.h b/master/ethernet.h
index 296b188e..4797e425 100644
--- a/master/ethernet.h
+++ b/master/ethernet.h
@@ -34,8 +34,6 @@
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/netdevice.h>
 
-#include <linux/semaphore.h>
-
 #include "globals.h"
 #include "slave.h"
 #include "datagram.h"
@@ -87,7 +85,6 @@ struct ec_eoe
     unsigned int tx_queue_size; /**< Transmit queue size. */
     unsigned int tx_queue_active; /**< kernel netif queue started */
     unsigned int tx_queued_frames; /**< number of frames in the queue */
-    struct semaphore tx_queue_sem; /**< Semaphore for the send queue. */
     ec_eoe_frame_t *tx_frame; /**< current TX frame */
     uint8_t tx_frame_number; /**< number of the transmitted frame */
     uint8_t tx_fragment_number; /**< number of the fragment */