diff --git a/drivers/mtd/nand/mxc_nand.c b/drivers/mtd/nand/mxc_nand.c
index d58214b..c1a3d04 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/nand/mxc_nand.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/nand/mxc_nand.c
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 #include <linux/clk.h>
 #include <linux/err.h>
 #include <linux/io.h>
+#include <linux/irq.h>
+#include <linux/completion.h>
 
 #include <asm/mach/flash.h>
 #include <mach/mxc_nand.h>
@@ -149,7 +151,7 @@ struct mxc_nand_host {
 	int			irq;
 	int			eccsize;
 
-	wait_queue_head_t	irq_waitq;
+	struct completion	op_completion;
 
 	uint8_t			*data_buf;
 	unsigned int		buf_start;
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ struct mxc_nand_host {
 	void			(*send_read_id)(struct mxc_nand_host *);
 	uint16_t		(*get_dev_status)(struct mxc_nand_host *);
 	int			(*check_int)(struct mxc_nand_host *);
+	void			(*irq_control)(struct mxc_nand_host *, int);
 };
 
 /* OOB placement block for use with hardware ecc generation */
@@ -214,9 +217,12 @@ static irqreturn_t mxc_nfc_irq(int irq, void *dev_id)
 {
 	struct mxc_nand_host *host = dev_id;
 
-	disable_irq_nosync(irq);
+	if (!host->check_int(host))
+		return IRQ_NONE;
 
-	wake_up(&host->irq_waitq);
+	host->irq_control(host, 0);
+
+	complete(&host->op_completion);
 
 	return IRQ_HANDLED;
 }
@@ -243,11 +249,54 @@ static int check_int_v1_v2(struct mxc_nand_host *host)
 	if (!(tmp & NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG2_INT))
 		return 0;
 
-	writew(tmp & ~NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG2_INT, NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG2);
+	if (!cpu_is_mx21())
+		writew(tmp & ~NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG2_INT, NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG2);
 
 	return 1;
 }
 
+/*
+ * It has been observed that the i.MX21 cannot read the CONFIG2:INT bit
+ * if interrupts are masked (CONFIG1:INT_MSK is set). To handle this, the
+ * driver can enable/disable the irq line rather than simply masking the
+ * interrupts.
+ */
+static void irq_control_mx21(struct mxc_nand_host *host, int activate)
+{
+	if (activate)
+		enable_irq(host->irq);
+	else
+		disable_irq_nosync(host->irq);
+}
+
+static void irq_control_v1_v2(struct mxc_nand_host *host, int activate)
+{
+	uint16_t tmp;
+
+	tmp = readw(NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG1);
+
+	if (activate)
+		tmp &= ~NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG1_INT_MSK;
+	else
+		tmp |= NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG1_INT_MSK;
+
+	writew(tmp, NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG1);
+}
+
+static void irq_control_v3(struct mxc_nand_host *host, int activate)
+{
+	uint32_t tmp;
+
+	tmp = readl(NFC_V3_CONFIG2);
+
+	if (activate)
+		tmp &= ~NFC_V3_CONFIG2_INT_MSK;
+	else
+		tmp |= NFC_V3_CONFIG2_INT_MSK;
+
+	writel(tmp, NFC_V3_CONFIG2);
+}
+
 /* This function polls the NANDFC to wait for the basic operation to
  * complete by checking the INT bit of config2 register.
  */
@@ -257,10 +306,9 @@ static void wait_op_done(struct mxc_nand_host *host, int useirq)
 
 	if (useirq) {
 		if (!host->check_int(host)) {
-
-			enable_irq(host->irq);
-
-			wait_event(host->irq_waitq, host->check_int(host));
+			INIT_COMPLETION(host->op_completion);
+			host->irq_control(host, 1);
+			wait_for_completion(&host->op_completion);
 		}
 	} else {
 		while (max_retries-- > 0) {
@@ -731,9 +779,8 @@ static void preset_v1_v2(struct mtd_info *mtd)
 	struct mxc_nand_host *host = nand_chip->priv;
 	uint16_t tmp;
 
-	/* enable interrupt, disable spare enable */
+	/* disable spare enable */
 	tmp = readw(NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG1);
-	tmp &= ~NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG1_INT_MSK;
 	tmp &= ~NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG1_SP_EN;
 	if (nand_chip->ecc.mode == NAND_ECC_HW) {
 		tmp |= NFC_V1_V2_CONFIG1_ECC_EN;
@@ -1020,6 +1067,10 @@ static int __init mxcnd_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		host->send_read_id = send_read_id_v1_v2;
 		host->get_dev_status = get_dev_status_v1_v2;
 		host->check_int = check_int_v1_v2;
+		if (cpu_is_mx21())
+			host->irq_control = irq_control_mx21;
+		else
+			host->irq_control = irq_control_v1_v2;
 	}
 
 	if (nfc_is_v21()) {
@@ -1058,6 +1109,7 @@ static int __init mxcnd_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		host->send_read_id = send_read_id_v3;
 		host->check_int = check_int_v3;
 		host->get_dev_status = get_dev_status_v3;
+		host->irq_control = irq_control_v3;
 		oob_smallpage = &nandv2_hw_eccoob_smallpage;
 		oob_largepage = &nandv2_hw_eccoob_largepage;
 	} else
@@ -1089,14 +1141,34 @@ static int __init mxcnd_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		this->options |= NAND_USE_FLASH_BBT;
 	}
 
-	init_waitqueue_head(&host->irq_waitq);
+	init_completion(&host->op_completion);
 
 	host->irq = platform_get_irq(pdev, 0);
 
+	/*
+	 * mask the interrupt. For i.MX21 explicitely call
+	 * irq_control_v1_v2 to use the mask bit. We can't call
+	 * disable_irq_nosync() for an interrupt we do not own yet.
+	 */
+	if (cpu_is_mx21())
+		irq_control_v1_v2(host, 0);
+	else
+		host->irq_control(host, 0);
+
 	err = request_irq(host->irq, mxc_nfc_irq, IRQF_DISABLED, DRIVER_NAME, host);
 	if (err)
 		goto eirq;
 
+	host->irq_control(host, 0);
+
+	/*
+	 * Now that the interrupt is disabled make sure the interrupt
+	 * mask bit is cleared on i.MX21. Otherwise we can't read
+	 * the interrupt status bit on this machine.
+	 */
+	if (cpu_is_mx21())
+		irq_control_v1_v2(host, 1);
+
 	/* first scan to find the device and get the page size */
 	if (nand_scan_ident(mtd, 1, NULL)) {
 		err = -ENXIO;
