diff --git a/drivers/staging/speakup/serialio.c b/drivers/staging/speakup/serialio.c
index 3fab1c377a80..ba060d0ceca2 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/speakup/serialio.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/speakup/serialio.c
@@ -26,8 +26,13 @@ static const struct old_serial_port *serstate;
 static int timeouts;
 
 static int spk_serial_out(struct spk_synth *in_synth, const char ch);
+static void spk_serial_send_xchar(char ch);
+static void spk_serial_tiocmset(unsigned int set, unsigned int clear);
+
 struct spk_io_ops spk_serial_io_ops = {
 	.synth_out = spk_serial_out,
+	.send_xchar = spk_serial_send_xchar,
+	.tiocmset = spk_serial_tiocmset,
 };
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(spk_serial_io_ops);
 
@@ -136,6 +141,24 @@ static void start_serial_interrupt(int irq)
 	outb(1, speakup_info.port_tts + UART_FCR);	/* Turn FIFO On */
 }
 
+static void spk_serial_send_xchar(char ch)
+{
+	int timeout = SPK_XMITR_TIMEOUT;
+
+	while (spk_serial_tx_busy()) {
+		if (!--timeout)
+			break;
+		udelay(1);
+	}
+	outb(ch, speakup_info.port_tts);
+}
+
+static void spk_serial_tiocmset(unsigned int set, unsigned int clear)
+{
+	int old = inb(speakup_info.port_tts + UART_MCR);
+	outb((old & ~clear) | set, speakup_info.port_tts + UART_MCR);
+}
+
 int spk_serial_synth_probe(struct spk_synth *synth)
 {
 	const struct old_serial_port *ser;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_apollo.c b/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_apollo.c
index 6ad83dc642c4..cead8b1b1bfc 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_apollo.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_apollo.c
@@ -171,9 +171,8 @@ static void do_catch_up(struct spk_synth *synth)
 		full_time_val = full_time->u.n.value;
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&speakup_info.spinlock, flags);
 		if (!synth->io_ops->synth_out(synth, ch)) {
-			outb(UART_MCR_DTR, speakup_info.port_tts + UART_MCR);
-			outb(UART_MCR_DTR | UART_MCR_RTS,
-			     speakup_info.port_tts + UART_MCR);
+			synth->io_ops->tiocmset(0, UART_MCR_RTS);
+			synth->io_ops->tiocmset(UART_MCR_RTS, 0);
 			schedule_timeout(msecs_to_jiffies(full_time_val));
 			continue;
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_audptr.c b/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_audptr.c
index da3fd94a6ad9..6880352a7b74 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_audptr.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_audptr.c
@@ -128,14 +128,7 @@ static struct spk_synth synth_audptr = {
 
 static void synth_flush(struct spk_synth *synth)
 {
-	int timeout = SPK_XMITR_TIMEOUT;
-
-	while (spk_serial_tx_busy()) {
-		if (!--timeout)
-			break;
-		udelay(1);
-	}
-	outb(SYNTH_CLEAR, speakup_info.port_tts);
+	synth->io_ops->send_xchar(SYNTH_CLEAR);
 	synth->io_ops->synth_out(synth, PROCSPEECH);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_spkout.c b/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_spkout.c
index d08ddc110f57..d95c375a0736 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_spkout.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_spkout.c
@@ -126,14 +126,7 @@ static struct spk_synth synth_spkout = {
 
 static void synth_flush(struct spk_synth *synth)
 {
-	int timeout = SPK_XMITR_TIMEOUT;
-
-	while (spk_serial_tx_busy()) {
-		if (!--timeout)
-			break;
-		udelay(1);
-	}
-	outb(SYNTH_CLEAR, speakup_info.port_tts);
+	synth->io_ops->send_xchar(SYNTH_CLEAR);
 }
 
 module_param_named(ser, synth_spkout.ser, int, 0444);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/speakup/spk_types.h b/drivers/staging/speakup/spk_types.h
index a446064b6c91..c156975392c8 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/speakup/spk_types.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/speakup/spk_types.h
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ struct spk_synth;
 
 struct spk_io_ops {
 	int (*synth_out)(struct spk_synth *synth, const char ch);
+	void (*send_xchar)(char ch);
+	void (*tiocmset)(unsigned int set, unsigned int clear);
 };
 
 struct spk_synth {