diff --git a/drivers/atm/nicstar.c b/drivers/atm/nicstar.c
index 7af74fb450a0..a602e6b96ff7 100644
--- a/drivers/atm/nicstar.c
+++ b/drivers/atm/nicstar.c
@@ -130,8 +130,9 @@ static int ns_open(struct atm_vcc *vcc);
 static void ns_close(struct atm_vcc *vcc);
 static void fill_tst(ns_dev * card, int n, vc_map * vc);
 static int ns_send(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb);
+static int ns_send_bh(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb);
 static int push_scqe(ns_dev * card, vc_map * vc, scq_info * scq, ns_scqe * tbd,
-		     struct sk_buff *skb);
+		     struct sk_buff *skb, bool may_sleep);
 static void process_tsq(ns_dev * card);
 static void drain_scq(ns_dev * card, scq_info * scq, int pos);
 static void process_rsq(ns_dev * card);
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ static const struct atmdev_ops atm_ops = {
 	.close = ns_close,
 	.ioctl = ns_ioctl,
 	.send = ns_send,
+	.send_bh = ns_send_bh,
 	.phy_put = ns_phy_put,
 	.phy_get = ns_phy_get,
 	.proc_read = ns_proc_read,
@@ -1620,7 +1622,7 @@ static void fill_tst(ns_dev * card, int n, vc_map * vc)
 	card->tst_addr = new_tst;
 }
 
-static int ns_send(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb)
+static int _ns_send(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb, bool may_sleep)
 {
 	ns_dev *card;
 	vc_map *vc;
@@ -1704,7 +1706,7 @@ static int ns_send(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb)
 		scq = card->scq0;
 	}
 
-	if (push_scqe(card, vc, scq, &scqe, skb) != 0) {
+	if (push_scqe(card, vc, scq, &scqe, skb, may_sleep) != 0) {
 		atomic_inc(&vcc->stats->tx_err);
 		dev_kfree_skb_any(skb);
 		return -EIO;
@@ -1714,8 +1716,18 @@ static int ns_send(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int ns_send(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb)
+{
+	return _ns_send(vcc, skb, true);
+}
+
+static int ns_send_bh(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb)
+{
+	return _ns_send(vcc, skb, false);
+}
+
 static int push_scqe(ns_dev * card, vc_map * vc, scq_info * scq, ns_scqe * tbd,
-		     struct sk_buff *skb)
+		     struct sk_buff *skb, bool may_sleep)
 {
 	unsigned long flags;
 	ns_scqe tsr;
@@ -1726,7 +1738,7 @@ static int push_scqe(ns_dev * card, vc_map * vc, scq_info * scq, ns_scqe * tbd,
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&scq->lock, flags);
 	while (scq->tail == scq->next) {
-		if (in_interrupt()) {
+		if (!may_sleep) {
 			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&scq->lock, flags);
 			printk("nicstar%d: Error pushing TBD.\n", card->index);
 			return 1;
@@ -1771,7 +1783,7 @@ static int push_scqe(ns_dev * card, vc_map * vc, scq_info * scq, ns_scqe * tbd,
 		int has_run = 0;
 
 		while (scq->tail == scq->next) {
-			if (in_interrupt()) {
+			if (!may_sleep) {
 				data = scq_virt_to_bus(scq, scq->next);
 				ns_write_sram(card, scq->scd, &data, 1);
 				spin_unlock_irqrestore(&scq->lock, flags);
diff --git a/include/linux/atmdev.h b/include/linux/atmdev.h
index 5d5ff2203fa2..d7493016cd46 100644
--- a/include/linux/atmdev.h
+++ b/include/linux/atmdev.h
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ struct atmdev_ops { /* only send is required */
 			    void __user *arg);
 #endif
 	int (*send)(struct atm_vcc *vcc,struct sk_buff *skb);
+	int (*send_bh)(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb);
 	int (*send_oam)(struct atm_vcc *vcc,void *cell,int flags);
 	void (*phy_put)(struct atm_dev *dev,unsigned char value,
 	    unsigned long addr);
diff --git a/net/atm/raw.c b/net/atm/raw.c
index b3ba44aab0ee..2b5f78a7ec3e 100644
--- a/net/atm/raw.c
+++ b/net/atm/raw.c
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ static int atm_send_aal0(struct atm_vcc *vcc, struct sk_buff *skb)
 		kfree_skb(skb);
 		return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
 	}
+	if (vcc->dev->ops->send_bh)
+		return vcc->dev->ops->send_bh(vcc, skb);
 	return vcc->dev->ops->send(vcc, skb);
 }
 
@@ -71,7 +73,10 @@ int atm_init_aal34(struct atm_vcc *vcc)
 	vcc->push = atm_push_raw;
 	vcc->pop = atm_pop_raw;
 	vcc->push_oam = NULL;
-	vcc->send = vcc->dev->ops->send;
+	if (vcc->dev->ops->send_bh)
+		vcc->send = vcc->dev->ops->send_bh;
+	else
+		vcc->send = vcc->dev->ops->send;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -80,7 +85,10 @@ int atm_init_aal5(struct atm_vcc *vcc)
 	vcc->push = atm_push_raw;
 	vcc->pop = atm_pop_raw;
 	vcc->push_oam = NULL;
-	vcc->send = vcc->dev->ops->send;
+	if (vcc->dev->ops->send_bh)
+		vcc->send = vcc->dev->ops->send_bh;
+	else
+		vcc->send = vcc->dev->ops->send;
 	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(atm_init_aal5);