diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/irq.c b/xen/arch/x86/irq.c
index 93c4fb9a79..77290032f5 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/irq.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/irq.c
@@ -2495,14 +2495,12 @@ static void dump_irqs(unsigned char key)
                 pirq = domain_irq_to_pirq(d, irq);
                 info = pirq_info(d, pirq);
                 evtchn = evtchn_from_port(d, info->evtchn);
-                local_irq_disable();
-                if ( spin_trylock(&evtchn->lock) )
+                if ( evtchn_tryread_lock(evtchn) )
                 {
                     pending = evtchn_is_pending(d, evtchn);
                     masked = evtchn_is_masked(d, evtchn);
-                    spin_unlock(&evtchn->lock);
+                    evtchn_read_unlock(evtchn);
                 }
-                local_irq_enable();
                 printk("d%d:%3d(%c%c%c)%c",
                        d->domain_id, pirq, "-P?"[pending],
                        "-M?"[masked], info->masked ? 'M' : '-',
diff --git a/xen/arch/x86/pv/shim.c b/xen/arch/x86/pv/shim.c
index 9aef7a860a..3734250bf7 100644
--- a/xen/arch/x86/pv/shim.c
+++ b/xen/arch/x86/pv/shim.c
@@ -660,11 +660,12 @@ void pv_shim_inject_evtchn(unsigned int port)
     if ( port_is_valid(guest, port) )
     {
         struct evtchn *chn = evtchn_from_port(guest, port);
-        unsigned long flags;
 
-        spin_lock_irqsave(&chn->lock, flags);
-        evtchn_port_set_pending(guest, chn->notify_vcpu_id, chn);
-        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&chn->lock, flags);
+        if ( evtchn_tryread_lock(chn) )
+        {
+            evtchn_port_set_pending(guest, chn->notify_vcpu_id, chn);
+            evtchn_read_unlock(chn);
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/xen/common/event_channel.c b/xen/common/event_channel.c
index e365b5498f..398a1e7aa0 100644
--- a/xen/common/event_channel.c
+++ b/xen/common/event_channel.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ static struct evtchn *alloc_evtchn_bucket(struct domain *d, unsigned int port)
             return NULL;
         }
         chn[i].port = port + i;
-        spin_lock_init(&chn[i].lock);
+        atomic_set(&chn[i].lock, 0);
     }
     return chn;
 }
@@ -253,7 +253,6 @@ static long evtchn_alloc_unbound(evtchn_alloc_unbound_t *alloc)
     int            port;
     domid_t        dom = alloc->dom;
     long           rc;
-    unsigned long  flags;
 
     d = rcu_lock_domain_by_any_id(dom);
     if ( d == NULL )
@@ -269,14 +268,14 @@ static long evtchn_alloc_unbound(evtchn_alloc_unbound_t *alloc)
     if ( rc )
         goto out;
 
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_lock(chn);
 
     chn->state = ECS_UNBOUND;
     if ( (chn->u.unbound.remote_domid = alloc->remote_dom) == DOMID_SELF )
         chn->u.unbound.remote_domid = current->domain->domain_id;
     evtchn_port_init(d, chn);
 
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_unlock(chn);
 
     alloc->port = port;
 
@@ -289,32 +288,26 @@ static long evtchn_alloc_unbound(evtchn_alloc_unbound_t *alloc)
 }
 
 
-static unsigned long double_evtchn_lock(struct evtchn *lchn,
-                                        struct evtchn *rchn)
+static void double_evtchn_lock(struct evtchn *lchn, struct evtchn *rchn)
 {
-    unsigned long flags;
-
     if ( lchn <= rchn )
     {
-        spin_lock_irqsave(&lchn->lock, flags);
+        evtchn_write_lock(lchn);
         if ( lchn != rchn )
-            spin_lock(&rchn->lock);
+            evtchn_write_lock(rchn);
     }
     else
     {
-        spin_lock_irqsave(&rchn->lock, flags);
-        spin_lock(&lchn->lock);
+        evtchn_write_lock(rchn);
+        evtchn_write_lock(lchn);
     }
-
-    return flags;
 }
 
-static void double_evtchn_unlock(struct evtchn *lchn, struct evtchn *rchn,
-                                 unsigned long flags)
+static void double_evtchn_unlock(struct evtchn *lchn, struct evtchn *rchn)
 {
     if ( lchn != rchn )
-        spin_unlock(&lchn->lock);
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&rchn->lock, flags);
+        evtchn_write_unlock(lchn);
+    evtchn_write_unlock(rchn);
 }
 
 static long evtchn_bind_interdomain(evtchn_bind_interdomain_t *bind)
@@ -324,7 +317,6 @@ static long evtchn_bind_interdomain(evtchn_bind_interdomain_t *bind)
     int            lport, rport = bind->remote_port;
     domid_t        rdom = bind->remote_dom;
     long           rc;
-    unsigned long  flags;
 
     if ( rdom == DOMID_SELF )
         rdom = current->domain->domain_id;
@@ -360,7 +352,7 @@ static long evtchn_bind_interdomain(evtchn_bind_interdomain_t *bind)
     if ( rc )
         goto out;
 
-    flags = double_evtchn_lock(lchn, rchn);
+    double_evtchn_lock(lchn, rchn);
 
     lchn->u.interdomain.remote_dom  = rd;
     lchn->u.interdomain.remote_port = rport;
@@ -377,7 +369,7 @@ static long evtchn_bind_interdomain(evtchn_bind_interdomain_t *bind)
      */
     evtchn_port_set_pending(ld, lchn->notify_vcpu_id, lchn);
 
-    double_evtchn_unlock(lchn, rchn, flags);
+    double_evtchn_unlock(lchn, rchn);
 
     bind->local_port = lport;
 
@@ -400,7 +392,6 @@ int evtchn_bind_virq(evtchn_bind_virq_t *bind, evtchn_port_t port)
     struct domain *d = current->domain;
     int            virq = bind->virq, vcpu = bind->vcpu;
     int            rc = 0;
-    unsigned long  flags;
 
     if ( (virq < 0) || (virq >= ARRAY_SIZE(v->virq_to_evtchn)) )
         return -EINVAL;
@@ -438,14 +429,14 @@ int evtchn_bind_virq(evtchn_bind_virq_t *bind, evtchn_port_t port)
 
     chn = evtchn_from_port(d, port);
 
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_lock(chn);
 
     chn->state          = ECS_VIRQ;
     chn->notify_vcpu_id = vcpu;
     chn->u.virq         = virq;
     evtchn_port_init(d, chn);
 
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_unlock(chn);
 
     v->virq_to_evtchn[virq] = bind->port = port;
 
@@ -462,7 +453,6 @@ static long evtchn_bind_ipi(evtchn_bind_ipi_t *bind)
     struct domain *d = current->domain;
     int            port, vcpu = bind->vcpu;
     long           rc = 0;
-    unsigned long  flags;
 
     if ( domain_vcpu(d, vcpu) == NULL )
         return -ENOENT;
@@ -474,13 +464,13 @@ static long evtchn_bind_ipi(evtchn_bind_ipi_t *bind)
 
     chn = evtchn_from_port(d, port);
 
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_lock(chn);
 
     chn->state          = ECS_IPI;
     chn->notify_vcpu_id = vcpu;
     evtchn_port_init(d, chn);
 
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_unlock(chn);
 
     bind->port = port;
 
@@ -524,7 +514,6 @@ static long evtchn_bind_pirq(evtchn_bind_pirq_t *bind)
     struct pirq   *info;
     int            port = 0, pirq = bind->pirq;
     long           rc;
-    unsigned long  flags;
 
     if ( (pirq < 0) || (pirq >= d->nr_pirqs) )
         return -EINVAL;
@@ -557,14 +546,14 @@ static long evtchn_bind_pirq(evtchn_bind_pirq_t *bind)
         goto out;
     }
 
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_lock(chn);
 
     chn->state  = ECS_PIRQ;
     chn->u.pirq.irq = pirq;
     link_pirq_port(port, chn, v);
     evtchn_port_init(d, chn);
 
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_unlock(chn);
 
     bind->port = port;
 
@@ -585,7 +574,6 @@ int evtchn_close(struct domain *d1, int port1, bool guest)
     struct evtchn *chn1, *chn2;
     int            port2;
     long           rc = 0;
-    unsigned long  flags;
 
  again:
     spin_lock(&d1->event_lock);
@@ -686,14 +674,14 @@ int evtchn_close(struct domain *d1, int port1, bool guest)
         BUG_ON(chn2->state != ECS_INTERDOMAIN);
         BUG_ON(chn2->u.interdomain.remote_dom != d1);
 
-        flags = double_evtchn_lock(chn1, chn2);
+        double_evtchn_lock(chn1, chn2);
 
         evtchn_free(d1, chn1);
 
         chn2->state = ECS_UNBOUND;
         chn2->u.unbound.remote_domid = d1->domain_id;
 
-        double_evtchn_unlock(chn1, chn2, flags);
+        double_evtchn_unlock(chn1, chn2);
 
         goto out;
 
@@ -701,9 +689,9 @@ int evtchn_close(struct domain *d1, int port1, bool guest)
         BUG();
     }
 
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&chn1->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_lock(chn1);
     evtchn_free(d1, chn1);
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&chn1->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_unlock(chn1);
 
  out:
     if ( d2 != NULL )
@@ -723,7 +711,6 @@ int evtchn_send(struct domain *ld, unsigned int lport)
     struct evtchn *lchn, *rchn;
     struct domain *rd;
     int            rport, ret = 0;
-    unsigned long  flags;
 
     if ( !port_is_valid(ld, lport) )
         return -EINVAL;
@@ -736,7 +723,8 @@ int evtchn_send(struct domain *ld, unsigned int lport)
 
     lchn = evtchn_from_port(ld, lport);
 
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&lchn->lock, flags);
+    if ( !evtchn_tryread_lock(lchn) )
+        return 0;
 
     /* Guest cannot send via a Xen-attached event channel. */
     if ( unlikely(consumer_is_xen(lchn)) )
@@ -771,7 +759,7 @@ int evtchn_send(struct domain *ld, unsigned int lport)
     }
 
 out:
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&lchn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_read_unlock(lchn);
 
     return ret;
 }
@@ -798,9 +786,11 @@ void send_guest_vcpu_virq(struct vcpu *v, uint32_t virq)
 
     d = v->domain;
     chn = evtchn_from_port(d, port);
-    spin_lock(&chn->lock);
-    evtchn_port_set_pending(d, v->vcpu_id, chn);
-    spin_unlock(&chn->lock);
+    if ( evtchn_tryread_lock(chn) )
+    {
+        evtchn_port_set_pending(d, v->vcpu_id, chn);
+        evtchn_read_unlock(chn);
+    }
 
  out:
     spin_unlock_irqrestore(&v->virq_lock, flags);
@@ -829,9 +819,11 @@ void send_guest_global_virq(struct domain *d, uint32_t virq)
         goto out;
 
     chn = evtchn_from_port(d, port);
-    spin_lock(&chn->lock);
-    evtchn_port_set_pending(d, chn->notify_vcpu_id, chn);
-    spin_unlock(&chn->lock);
+    if ( evtchn_tryread_lock(chn) )
+    {
+        evtchn_port_set_pending(d, v->vcpu_id, chn);
+        evtchn_read_unlock(chn);
+    }
 
  out:
     spin_unlock_irqrestore(&v->virq_lock, flags);
@@ -841,7 +833,6 @@ void send_guest_pirq(struct domain *d, const struct pirq *pirq)
 {
     int port;
     struct evtchn *chn;
-    unsigned long flags;
 
     /*
      * PV guests: It should not be possible to race with __evtchn_close(). The
@@ -856,9 +847,11 @@ void send_guest_pirq(struct domain *d, const struct pirq *pirq)
     }
 
     chn = evtchn_from_port(d, port);
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&chn->lock, flags);
-    evtchn_port_set_pending(d, chn->notify_vcpu_id, chn);
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&chn->lock, flags);
+    if ( evtchn_tryread_lock(chn) )
+    {
+        evtchn_port_set_pending(d, chn->notify_vcpu_id, chn);
+        evtchn_read_unlock(chn);
+    }
 }
 
 static struct domain *global_virq_handlers[NR_VIRQS] __read_mostly;
@@ -1060,15 +1053,16 @@ int evtchn_unmask(unsigned int port)
 {
     struct domain *d = current->domain;
     struct evtchn *evtchn;
-    unsigned long flags;
 
     if ( unlikely(!port_is_valid(d, port)) )
         return -EINVAL;
 
     evtchn = evtchn_from_port(d, port);
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&evtchn->lock, flags);
-    evtchn_port_unmask(d, evtchn);
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&evtchn->lock, flags);
+    if ( evtchn_tryread_lock(evtchn) )
+    {
+        evtchn_port_unmask(d, evtchn);
+        evtchn_read_unlock(evtchn);
+    }
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -1327,7 +1321,6 @@ int alloc_unbound_xen_event_channel(
 {
     struct evtchn *chn;
     int            port, rc;
-    unsigned long  flags;
 
     spin_lock(&ld->event_lock);
 
@@ -1340,14 +1333,14 @@ int alloc_unbound_xen_event_channel(
     if ( rc )
         goto out;
 
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_lock(chn);
 
     chn->state = ECS_UNBOUND;
     chn->xen_consumer = get_xen_consumer(notification_fn);
     chn->notify_vcpu_id = lvcpu;
     chn->u.unbound.remote_domid = remote_domid;
 
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&chn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_write_unlock(chn);
 
     /*
      * Increment ->xen_evtchns /after/ ->active_evtchns. No explicit
@@ -1383,7 +1376,6 @@ void notify_via_xen_event_channel(struct domain *ld, int lport)
 {
     struct evtchn *lchn, *rchn;
     struct domain *rd;
-    unsigned long flags;
 
     if ( !port_is_valid(ld, lport) )
     {
@@ -1398,7 +1390,8 @@ void notify_via_xen_event_channel(struct domain *ld, int lport)
 
     lchn = evtchn_from_port(ld, lport);
 
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&lchn->lock, flags);
+    if ( !evtchn_tryread_lock(lchn) )
+        return;
 
     if ( likely(lchn->state == ECS_INTERDOMAIN) )
     {
@@ -1408,7 +1401,7 @@ void notify_via_xen_event_channel(struct domain *ld, int lport)
         evtchn_port_set_pending(rd, rchn->notify_vcpu_id, rchn);
     }
 
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&lchn->lock, flags);
+    evtchn_read_unlock(lchn);
 }
 
 void evtchn_check_pollers(struct domain *d, unsigned int port)
diff --git a/xen/include/xen/event.h b/xen/include/xen/event.h
index 509d3ae861..39a93f7556 100644
--- a/xen/include/xen/event.h
+++ b/xen/include/xen/event.h
@@ -105,6 +105,45 @@ void notify_via_xen_event_channel(struct domain *ld, int lport);
 #define bucket_from_port(d, p) \
     ((group_from_port(d, p))[((p) % EVTCHNS_PER_GROUP) / EVTCHNS_PER_BUCKET])
 
+#define EVENT_WRITE_LOCK_INC    MAX_VIRT_CPUS
+static inline void evtchn_write_lock(struct evtchn *evtchn)
+{
+    int val;
+
+    /* No barrier needed, atomic_add_return() is full barrier. */
+    for ( val = atomic_add_return(EVENT_WRITE_LOCK_INC, &evtchn->lock);
+          val != EVENT_WRITE_LOCK_INC;
+          val = atomic_read(&evtchn->lock) )
+        cpu_relax();
+}
+
+static inline void evtchn_write_unlock(struct evtchn *evtchn)
+{
+    arch_lock_release_barrier();
+
+    atomic_sub(EVENT_WRITE_LOCK_INC, &evtchn->lock);
+}
+
+static inline bool evtchn_tryread_lock(struct evtchn *evtchn)
+{
+    if ( atomic_read(&evtchn->lock) >= EVENT_WRITE_LOCK_INC )
+        return false;
+
+    /* No barrier needed, atomic_inc_return() is full barrier. */
+    if ( atomic_inc_return(&evtchn->lock) < EVENT_WRITE_LOCK_INC )
+        return true;
+
+    atomic_dec(&evtchn->lock);
+    return false;
+}
+
+static inline void evtchn_read_unlock(struct evtchn *evtchn)
+{
+    arch_lock_release_barrier();
+
+    atomic_dec(&evtchn->lock);
+}
+
 static inline unsigned int max_evtchns(const struct domain *d)
 {
     return d->evtchn_fifo ? EVTCHN_FIFO_NR_CHANNELS
@@ -249,12 +288,11 @@ static inline bool evtchn_is_masked(const struct domain *d,
 static inline bool evtchn_port_is_masked(struct domain *d, evtchn_port_t port)
 {
     struct evtchn *evtchn = evtchn_from_port(d, port);
-    bool rc;
-    unsigned long flags;
+    bool rc = true;
 
-    spin_lock_irqsave(&evtchn->lock, flags);
-    rc = evtchn_is_masked(d, evtchn);
-    spin_unlock_irqrestore(&evtchn->lock, flags);
+    if ( evtchn_tryread_lock(evtchn) )
+        rc = evtchn_is_masked(d, evtchn);
+    evtchn_read_unlock(evtchn);
 
     return rc;
 }
@@ -274,12 +312,12 @@ static inline int evtchn_port_poll(struct domain *d, evtchn_port_t port)
     if ( port_is_valid(d, port) )
     {
         struct evtchn *evtchn = evtchn_from_port(d, port);
-        unsigned long flags;
 
-        spin_lock_irqsave(&evtchn->lock, flags);
-        if ( evtchn_usable(evtchn) )
+        if ( evtchn_tryread_lock(evtchn) && evtchn_usable(evtchn) )
+        {
             rc = evtchn_is_pending(d, evtchn);
-        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&evtchn->lock, flags);
+            evtchn_read_unlock(evtchn);
+        }
     }
 
     return rc;
diff --git a/xen/include/xen/sched.h b/xen/include/xen/sched.h
index a298ff4df8..096e0ec6af 100644
--- a/xen/include/xen/sched.h
+++ b/xen/include/xen/sched.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ extern domid_t hardware_domid;
 
 struct evtchn
 {
-    spinlock_t lock;
+    atomic_t lock;         /* kind of rwlock, use evtchn_*_[un]lock()        */
 #define ECS_FREE         0 /* Channel is available for use.                  */
 #define ECS_RESERVED     1 /* Channel is reserved.                           */
 #define ECS_UNBOUND      2 /* Channel is waiting to bind to a remote domain. */
