--- a/arch/mips/ath79/common.c
+++ b/arch/mips/ath79/common.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "common.h"
 
 static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(ath79_device_reset_lock);
+static DEFINE_MUTEX(ath79_flash_mutex);
 
 u32 ath79_cpu_freq;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ath79_cpu_freq);
@@ -111,3 +112,16 @@ void ath79_device_reset_clear(u32 mask)
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ath79_device_reset_lock, flags);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ath79_device_reset_clear);
+
+void ath79_flash_acquire(void)
+{
+	mutex_lock(&ath79_flash_mutex);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ath79_flash_acquire);
+
+void ath79_flash_release(void)
+{
+	mutex_unlock(&ath79_flash_mutex);
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ath79_flash_release);
+
--- a/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-ath79/ath79.h
+++ b/arch/mips/include/asm/mach-ath79/ath79.h
@@ -143,4 +143,7 @@ static inline u32 ath79_reset_rr(unsigne
 void ath79_device_reset_set(u32 mask);
 void ath79_device_reset_clear(u32 mask);
 
+void ath79_flash_acquire(void);
+void ath79_flash_release(void);
+
 #endif /* __ASM_MACH_ATH79_H */