diff --git a/drivers/mmc/card/block.c b/drivers/mmc/card/block.c
index 85093ee5ff88..48af615f9211 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/card/block.c
+++ b/drivers/mmc/card/block.c
@@ -2145,8 +2145,6 @@ static int mmc_blk_issue_rq(struct mmc_queue *mq, struct request *req)
 	int ret;
 	struct mmc_blk_data *md = mq->data;
 	struct mmc_card *card = md->queue.card;
-	struct mmc_host *host = card->host;
-	unsigned long flags;
 	unsigned int cmd_flags = req ? req->cmd_flags : 0;
 
 	if (req && !mq->mqrq_prev->req)
@@ -2177,11 +2175,6 @@ static int mmc_blk_issue_rq(struct mmc_queue *mq, struct request *req)
 			mmc_blk_issue_rw_rq(mq, NULL);
 		ret = mmc_blk_issue_flush(mq, req);
 	} else {
-		if (!req && host->areq) {
-			spin_lock_irqsave(&host->context_info.lock, flags);
-			host->context_info.is_waiting_last_req = true;
-			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&host->context_info.lock, flags);
-		}
 		ret = mmc_blk_issue_rw_rq(mq, req);
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/mmc/card/queue.c b/drivers/mmc/card/queue.c
index 6f4323c6d653..7469d0d99027 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/card/queue.c
+++ b/drivers/mmc/card/queue.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ static int mmc_queue_thread(void *d)
 {
 	struct mmc_queue *mq = d;
 	struct request_queue *q = mq->queue;
+	struct mmc_context_info *cntx = &mq->card->host->context_info;
 
 	current->flags |= PF_MEMALLOC;
 
@@ -61,6 +62,19 @@ static int mmc_queue_thread(void *d)
 		spin_lock_irq(q->queue_lock);
 		set_current_state(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE);
 		req = blk_fetch_request(q);
+		mq->asleep = false;
+		cntx->is_waiting_last_req = false;
+		cntx->is_new_req = false;
+		if (!req) {
+			/*
+			 * Dispatch queue is empty so set flags for
+			 * mmc_request_fn() to wake us up.
+			 */
+			if (mq->mqrq_prev->req)
+				cntx->is_waiting_last_req = true;
+			else
+				mq->asleep = true;
+		}
 		mq->mqrq_cur->req = req;
 		spin_unlock_irq(q->queue_lock);
 
@@ -112,7 +126,6 @@ static void mmc_request_fn(struct request_queue *q)
 {
 	struct mmc_queue *mq = q->queuedata;
 	struct request *req;
-	unsigned long flags;
 	struct mmc_context_info *cntx;
 
 	if (!mq) {
@@ -124,19 +137,13 @@ static void mmc_request_fn(struct request_queue *q)
 	}
 
 	cntx = &mq->card->host->context_info;
-	if (!mq->mqrq_cur->req && mq->mqrq_prev->req) {
-		/*
-		 * New MMC request arrived when MMC thread may be
-		 * blocked on the previous request to be complete
-		 * with no current request fetched
-		 */
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&cntx->lock, flags);
-		if (cntx->is_waiting_last_req) {
-			cntx->is_new_req = true;
-			wake_up_interruptible(&cntx->wait);
-		}
-		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&cntx->lock, flags);
-	} else if (!mq->mqrq_cur->req && !mq->mqrq_prev->req)
+
+	if (cntx->is_waiting_last_req) {
+		cntx->is_new_req = true;
+		wake_up_interruptible(&cntx->wait);
+	}
+
+	if (mq->asleep)
 		wake_up_process(mq->thread);
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/mmc/card/queue.h b/drivers/mmc/card/queue.h
index 36cddab57d77..872c82a83729 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/card/queue.h
+++ b/drivers/mmc/card/queue.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ struct mmc_queue {
 	unsigned int		flags;
 #define MMC_QUEUE_SUSPENDED	(1 << 0)
 #define MMC_QUEUE_NEW_REQUEST	(1 << 1)
+	bool			asleep;
 
 	int			(*issue_fn)(struct mmc_queue *, struct request *);
 	void			*data;
diff --git a/drivers/mmc/core/core.c b/drivers/mmc/core/core.c
index ca9b4ea78392..f9231122ce9a 100644
--- a/drivers/mmc/core/core.c
+++ b/drivers/mmc/core/core.c
@@ -501,18 +501,14 @@ static int mmc_wait_for_data_req_done(struct mmc_host *host,
 	struct mmc_command *cmd;
 	struct mmc_context_info *context_info = &host->context_info;
 	int err;
-	unsigned long flags;
 
 	while (1) {
 		wait_event_interruptible(context_info->wait,
 				(context_info->is_done_rcv ||
 				 context_info->is_new_req));
-		spin_lock_irqsave(&context_info->lock, flags);
 		context_info->is_waiting_last_req = false;
-		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&context_info->lock, flags);
 		if (context_info->is_done_rcv) {
 			context_info->is_done_rcv = false;
-			context_info->is_new_req = false;
 			cmd = mrq->cmd;
 
 			if (!cmd->error || !cmd->retries ||
@@ -531,7 +527,6 @@ static int mmc_wait_for_data_req_done(struct mmc_host *host,
 				continue; /* wait for done/new event again */
 			}
 		} else if (context_info->is_new_req) {
-			context_info->is_new_req = false;
 			if (!next_req)
 				return MMC_BLK_NEW_REQUEST;
 		}
@@ -2941,7 +2936,6 @@ void mmc_unregister_pm_notifier(struct mmc_host *host)
  */
 void mmc_init_context_info(struct mmc_host *host)
 {
-	spin_lock_init(&host->context_info.lock);
 	host->context_info.is_new_req = false;
 	host->context_info.is_done_rcv = false;
 	host->context_info.is_waiting_last_req = false;
diff --git a/include/linux/mmc/host.h b/include/linux/mmc/host.h
index 0b2439441cc8..3386e10480f7 100644
--- a/include/linux/mmc/host.h
+++ b/include/linux/mmc/host.h
@@ -198,14 +198,12 @@ struct mmc_slot {
  * @is_new_req		wake up reason was new request
  * @is_waiting_last_req	mmc context waiting for single running request
  * @wait		wait queue
- * @lock		lock to protect data fields
  */
 struct mmc_context_info {
 	bool			is_done_rcv;
 	bool			is_new_req;
 	bool			is_waiting_last_req;
 	wait_queue_head_t	wait;
-	spinlock_t		lock;
 };
 
 struct regulator;
