diff --git a/drivers/tty/serial/imx.c b/drivers/tty/serial/imx.c
index 1731d972886522e805addc3bc2f63ec5fcff6cbe..3c53a3c89959b66ffe3d9ad87aa3b77da8a62188 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/serial/imx.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/serial/imx.c
@@ -942,8 +942,14 @@ static irqreturn_t imx_uart_int(int irq, void *dev_id)
 	struct imx_port *sport = dev_id;
 	unsigned int usr1, usr2, ucr1, ucr2, ucr3, ucr4;
 	irqreturn_t ret = IRQ_NONE;
+	unsigned long flags = 0;
 
-	spin_lock(&sport->port.lock);
+	/*
+	 * IRQs might not be disabled upon entering this interrupt handler,
+	 * e.g. when interrupt handlers are forced to be threaded. To support
+	 * this scenario as well, disable IRQs when acquiring the spinlock.
+	 */
+	spin_lock_irqsave(&sport->port.lock, flags);
 
 	usr1 = imx_uart_readl(sport, USR1);
 	usr2 = imx_uart_readl(sport, USR2);
@@ -1013,7 +1019,7 @@ static irqreturn_t imx_uart_int(int irq, void *dev_id)
 		ret = IRQ_HANDLED;
 	}
 
-	spin_unlock(&sport->port.lock);
+	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&sport->port.lock, flags);
 
 	return ret;
 }