diff --git a/kernel/sysctl.c b/kernel/sysctl.c
index c4f35f9..9990e10 100644
--- a/kernel/sysctl.c
+++ b/kernel/sysctl.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
 
 extern struct proc_dir_entry *proc_sys_root;
 
-static void register_proc_table(ctl_table *, struct proc_dir_entry *);
+static void register_proc_table(ctl_table *, struct proc_dir_entry *, void *);
 static void unregister_proc_table(ctl_table *, struct proc_dir_entry *);
 #endif
 
@@ -992,10 +992,51 @@
 
 extern void init_irq_proc (void);
 
+static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(sysctl_lock);
+
+/* called under sysctl_lock */
+static int use_table(struct ctl_table_header *p)
+{
+	if (unlikely(p->unregistering))
+		return 0;
+	p->used++;
+	return 1;
+}
+
+/* called under sysctl_lock */
+static void unuse_table(struct ctl_table_header *p)
+{
+	if (!--p->used)
+		if (unlikely(p->unregistering))
+			complete(p->unregistering);
+}
+
+/* called under sysctl_lock, will reacquire if has to wait */
+static void start_unregistering(struct ctl_table_header *p)
+{
+	/*
+	 * if p->used is 0, nobody will ever touch that entry again;
+	 * we'll eliminate all paths to it before dropping sysctl_lock
+	 */
+	if (unlikely(p->used)) {
+		struct completion wait;
+		init_completion(&wait);
+		p->unregistering = &wait;
+		spin_unlock(&sysctl_lock);
+		wait_for_completion(&wait);
+		spin_lock(&sysctl_lock);
+	}
+	/*
+	 * do not remove from the list until nobody holds it; walking the
+	 * list in do_sysctl() relies on that.
+	 */
+	list_del_init(&p->ctl_entry);
+}
+
 void __init sysctl_init(void)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS
-	register_proc_table(root_table, proc_sys_root);
+	register_proc_table(root_table, proc_sys_root, &root_table_header);
 	init_irq_proc();
 #endif
 }
@@ -1004,6 +1045,7 @@
 	       void __user *newval, size_t newlen)
 {
 	struct list_head *tmp;
+	int error = -ENOTDIR;
 
 	if (nlen <= 0 || nlen >= CTL_MAXNAME)
 		return -ENOTDIR;
@@ -1012,20 +1054,30 @@
 		if (!oldlenp || get_user(old_len, oldlenp))
 			return -EFAULT;
 	}
+	spin_lock(&sysctl_lock);
 	tmp = &root_table_header.ctl_entry;
 	do {
 		struct ctl_table_header *head =
 			list_entry(tmp, struct ctl_table_header, ctl_entry);
 		void *context = NULL;
-		int error = parse_table(name, nlen, oldval, oldlenp, 
+
+		if (!use_table(head))
+			continue;
+
+		spin_unlock(&sysctl_lock);
+
+		error = parse_table(name, nlen, oldval, oldlenp, 
 					newval, newlen, head->ctl_table,
 					&context);
 		kfree(context);
+
+		spin_lock(&sysctl_lock);
+		unuse_table(head);
 		if (error != -ENOTDIR)
-			return error;
-		tmp = tmp->next;
-	} while (tmp != &root_table_header.ctl_entry);
-	return -ENOTDIR;
+			break;
+	} while ((tmp = tmp->next) != &root_table_header.ctl_entry);
+	spin_unlock(&sysctl_lock);
+	return error;
 }
 
 asmlinkage long sys_sysctl(struct __sysctl_args __user *args)
@@ -1236,12 +1288,16 @@
 		return NULL;
 	tmp->ctl_table = table;
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&tmp->ctl_entry);
+	tmp->used = 0;
+	tmp->unregistering = NULL;
+	spin_lock(&sysctl_lock);
 	if (insert_at_head)
 		list_add(&tmp->ctl_entry, &root_table_header.ctl_entry);
 	else
 		list_add_tail(&tmp->ctl_entry, &root_table_header.ctl_entry);
+	spin_unlock(&sysctl_lock);
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS
-	register_proc_table(table, proc_sys_root);
+	register_proc_table(table, proc_sys_root, tmp);
 #endif
 	return tmp;
 }
@@ -1255,10 +1311,13 @@
  */
 void unregister_sysctl_table(struct ctl_table_header * header)
 {
-	list_del(&header->ctl_entry);
+	might_sleep();
+	spin_lock(&sysctl_lock);
+	start_unregistering(header);
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS
 	unregister_proc_table(header->ctl_table, proc_sys_root);
 #endif
+	spin_unlock(&sysctl_lock);
 	kfree(header);
 }
 
@@ -1269,7 +1328,7 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROC_FS
 
 /* Scan the sysctl entries in table and add them all into /proc */
-static void register_proc_table(ctl_table * table, struct proc_dir_entry *root)
+static void register_proc_table(ctl_table * table, struct proc_dir_entry *root, void *set)
 {
 	struct proc_dir_entry *de;
 	int len;
@@ -1305,13 +1364,14 @@
 			de = create_proc_entry(table->procname, mode, root);
 			if (!de)
 				continue;
+			de->set = set;
 			de->data = (void *) table;
 			if (table->proc_handler)
 				de->proc_fops = &proc_sys_file_operations;
 		}
 		table->de = de;
 		if (de->mode & S_IFDIR)
-			register_proc_table(table->child, de);
+			register_proc_table(table->child, de, set);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1336,6 +1396,13 @@
 				continue;
 		}
 
+		/*
+		 * In any case, mark the entry as goner; we'll keep it
+		 * around if it's busy, but we'll know to do nothing with
+		 * its fields.  We are under sysctl_lock here.
+		 */
+		de->data = NULL;
+
 		/* Don't unregister proc entries that are still being used.. */
 		if (atomic_read(&de->count))
 			continue;
@@ -1349,27 +1416,38 @@
 			  size_t count, loff_t *ppos)
 {
 	int op;
-	struct proc_dir_entry *de;
+	struct proc_dir_entry *de = PDE(file->f_dentry->d_inode);
 	struct ctl_table *table;
 	size_t res;
-	ssize_t error;
+	ssize_t error = -ENOTDIR;
 	
-	de = PDE(file->f_dentry->d_inode);
-	if (!de || !de->data)
-		return -ENOTDIR;
-	table = (struct ctl_table *) de->data;
-	if (!table || !table->proc_handler)
-		return -ENOTDIR;
-	op = (write ? 002 : 004);
-	if (ctl_perm(table, op))
-		return -EPERM;
-	
-	res = count;
-
-	error = (*table->proc_handler) (table, write, file, buf, &res, ppos);
-	if (error)
-		return error;
-	return res;
+	spin_lock(&sysctl_lock);
+	if (de && de->data && use_table(de->set)) {
+		/*
+		 * at that point we know that sysctl was not unregistered
+		 * and won't be until we finish
+		 */
+		spin_unlock(&sysctl_lock);
+		table = (struct ctl_table *) de->data;
+		if (!table || !table->proc_handler)
+			goto out;
+		error = -EPERM;
+		op = (write ? 002 : 004);
+		if (ctl_perm(table, op))
+			goto out;
+		
+		/* careful: calling conventions are nasty here */
+		res = count;
+		error = (*table->proc_handler)(table, write, file,
+						buf, &res, ppos);
+		if (!error)
+			error = res;
+	out:
+		spin_lock(&sysctl_lock);
+		unuse_table(de->set);
+	}
+	spin_unlock(&sysctl_lock);
+	return error;
 }
 
 static int proc_opensys(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)