diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
index e8f405a01e3d..a4e8db35a559 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-agn.c
@@ -1266,15 +1266,24 @@ static void iwl_irq_tasklet(struct iwl_priv *priv)
 		 * 3- update RX shared data to indicate last write index.
 		 * 4- send interrupt.
 		 * This could lead to RX race, driver could receive RX interrupt
-		 * but the shared data changes does not reflect this.
-		 * this could lead to RX race, RX periodic will solve this race
+		 * but the shared data changes does not reflect this;
+		 * periodic interrupt will detect any dangling Rx activity.
 		 */
-		iwl_write32(priv, CSR_INT_PERIODIC_REG,
+
+		/* Disable periodic interrupt; we use it as just a one-shot. */
+		iwl_write8(priv, CSR_INT_PERIODIC_REG,
 			    CSR_INT_PERIODIC_DIS);
 		iwl_rx_handle(priv);
-		/* Only set RX periodic if real RX is received. */
+
+		/*
+		 * Enable periodic interrupt in 8 msec only if we received
+		 * real RX interrupt (instead of just periodic int), to catch
+		 * any dangling Rx interrupt.  If it was just the periodic
+		 * interrupt, there was no dangling Rx activity, and no need
+		 * to extend the periodic interrupt; one-shot is enough.
+		 */
 		if (inta & (CSR_INT_BIT_FH_RX | CSR_INT_BIT_SW_RX))
-			iwl_write32(priv, CSR_INT_PERIODIC_REG,
+			iwl_write8(priv, CSR_INT_PERIODIC_REG,
 				    CSR_INT_PERIODIC_ENA);
 
 		priv->isr_stats.rx++;
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-core.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-core.c
index a2636f4b068f..c25cab5d0451 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-core.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-core.c
@@ -255,7 +255,10 @@ int iwl_hw_nic_init(struct iwl_priv *priv)
 	/* nic_init */
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&priv->lock, flags);
 	priv->cfg->ops->lib->apm_ops.init(priv);
-	iwl_write32(priv, CSR_INT_COALESCING, 512 / 32);
+
+	/* Set interrupt coalescing timer to 512 usecs */
+	iwl_write8(priv, CSR_INT_COALESCING, 512 / 32);
+
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&priv->lock, flags);
 
 	ret = priv->cfg->ops->lib->apm_ops.set_pwr_src(priv, IWL_PWR_SRC_VMAIN);
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-csr.h b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-csr.h
index 68ed82206723..a7bfae01f19b 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-csr.h
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-csr.h
@@ -173,8 +173,8 @@
 #define CSR_HW_IF_CONFIG_REG_BIT_NIC_PREPARE_DONE (0x02000000) /* ME_OWN */
 #define CSR_HW_IF_CONFIG_REG_PREPARE		  (0x08000000) /* WAKE_ME */
 
-#define CSR_INT_PERIODIC_DIS			(0x00)
-#define CSR_INT_PERIODIC_ENA			(0xFF)
+#define CSR_INT_PERIODIC_DIS			(0x00) /* disable periodic int*/
+#define CSR_INT_PERIODIC_ENA			(0xFF) /* 255*32 usec ~ 8 msec*/
 
 /* interrupt flags in INTA, set by uCode or hardware (e.g. dma),
  * acknowledged (reset) by host writing "1" to flagged bits. */
diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-rx.c b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-rx.c
index cc980d5d57c2..6090bc15a6d5 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-rx.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-rx.c
@@ -477,7 +477,8 @@ int iwl_rx_init(struct iwl_priv *priv, struct iwl_rx_queue *rxq)
 			   (rb_timeout << FH_RCSR_RX_CONFIG_REG_IRQ_RBTH_POS)|
 			   (rfdnlog << FH_RCSR_RX_CONFIG_RBDCB_SIZE_POS));
 
-	iwl_write32(priv, CSR_INT_COALESCING, 0x40);
+	/* Set interrupt coalescing timer to 64 x 32 = 2048 usecs */
+	iwl_write8(priv, CSR_INT_COALESCING, 0x40);
 
 	return 0;
 }