diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/smt.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/smt.c
index d6e84c8b5554..01c65d13fc0e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/smt.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/smt.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct smt_data *t4_init_smt(void)
 		s->smtab[i].state = SMT_STATE_UNUSED;
 		memset(&s->smtab[i].src_mac, 0, ETH_ALEN);
 		spin_lock_init(&s->smtab[i].lock);
-		atomic_set(&s->smtab[i].refcnt, 0);
+		s->smtab[i].refcnt = 0;
 	}
 	return s;
 }
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ static struct smt_entry *find_or_alloc_smte(struct smt_data *s, u8 *smac)
 	struct smt_entry *e, *end;
 
 	for (e = &s->smtab[0], end = &s->smtab[s->smt_size]; e != end; ++e) {
-		if (atomic_read(&e->refcnt) == 0) {
+		if (e->refcnt == 0) {
 			if (!first_free)
 				first_free = e;
 		} else {
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ found_reuse:
 
 static void t4_smte_free(struct smt_entry *e)
 {
-	if (atomic_read(&e->refcnt) == 0) {  /* hasn't been recycled */
+	if (e->refcnt == 0) {  /* hasn't been recycled */
 		e->state = SMT_STATE_UNUSED;
 	}
 }
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ static void t4_smte_free(struct smt_entry *e)
 void cxgb4_smt_release(struct smt_entry *e)
 {
 	spin_lock_bh(&e->lock);
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&e->refcnt))
+	if ((--e->refcnt) == 0)
 		t4_smte_free(e);
 	spin_unlock_bh(&e->lock);
 }
@@ -215,14 +215,14 @@ static struct smt_entry *t4_smt_alloc_switching(struct adapter *adap, u16 pfvf,
 	e = find_or_alloc_smte(s, smac);
 	if (e) {
 		spin_lock(&e->lock);
-		if (!atomic_read(&e->refcnt)) {
-			atomic_set(&e->refcnt, 1);
+		if (!e->refcnt) {
+			e->refcnt = 1;
 			e->state = SMT_STATE_SWITCHING;
 			e->pfvf = pfvf;
 			memcpy(e->src_mac, smac, ETH_ALEN);
 			write_smt_entry(adap, e);
 		} else {
-			atomic_inc(&e->refcnt);
+			++e->refcnt;
 		}
 		spin_unlock(&e->lock);
 	}
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/smt.h b/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/smt.h
index d6c2cc271398..1268d6e93a47 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/smt.h
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/chelsio/cxgb4/smt.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ struct smt_entry {
 	u16 idx;
 	u16 pfvf;
 	u8 src_mac[ETH_ALEN];
-	atomic_t refcnt;
+	int refcnt;
 	spinlock_t lock;	/* protect smt entry add,removal */
 };