diff --git a/sys/dev/xen/console/console.c b/sys/dev/xen/console/console.c
index ac8ebac9edb..5e14d486b5d 100644
--- a/sys/dev/xen/console/console.c
+++ b/sys/dev/xen/console/console.c
@@ -76,17 +76,17 @@ static unsigned int wc, wp; /* write_cons, write_prod */
 #define	XCUNIT(x)	(dev2unit(x))
 #define ISTTYOPEN(tp)	((tp) && ((tp)->t_state & TS_ISOPEN))
 #define CN_LOCK_INIT(x, _name) \
-        mtx_init(&x, _name, NULL, MTX_DEF|MTX_RECURSE)
+        mtx_init(&x, _name, NULL, MTX_SPIN|MTX_RECURSE)
 
 #define CN_LOCK(l)        								\
 		do {											\
 				if (panicstr == NULL)					\
-                        mtx_lock(&(l));			\
+                        mtx_lock_spin(&(l));			\
 		} while (0)
 #define CN_UNLOCK(l)        							\
 		do {											\
 				if (panicstr == NULL)					\
-                        mtx_unlock(&(l));			\
+                        mtx_unlock_spin(&(l));			\
 		} while (0)
 #define CN_LOCK_ASSERT(x)    mtx_assert(&x, MA_OWNED)
 #define CN_LOCK_DESTROY(x)   mtx_destroy(&x)
diff --git a/sys/dev/xen/console/xencons_ring.c b/sys/dev/xen/console/xencons_ring.c
index fc9522e4f44..a86ec5e9c2c 100644
--- a/sys/dev/xen/console/xencons_ring.c
+++ b/sys/dev/xen/console/xencons_ring.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ xencons_handle_input(void *unused)
 	struct xencons_interface *intf;
 	XENCONS_RING_IDX cons, prod;
 
-	mtx_lock(&cn_mtx);
+	CN_LOCK(cn_mtx);
 	intf = xencons_interface();
 
 	cons = intf->in_cons;
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ xencons_handle_input(void *unused)
 	notify_remote_via_evtchn(xen_start_info->console_evtchn);
 
 	xencons_tx();
-	mtx_unlock(&cn_mtx);
+	CN_UNLOCK(cn_mtx);
 }
 
 void 
diff --git a/sys/dev/xen/console/xencons_ring.h b/sys/dev/xen/console/xencons_ring.h
index fc97d95028e..7e3a64c9f6f 100644
--- a/sys/dev/xen/console/xencons_ring.h
+++ b/sys/dev/xen/console/xencons_ring.h
@@ -5,6 +5,17 @@
 #ifndef _XENCONS_RING_H
 #define _XENCONS_RING_H
 
+#define CN_LOCK(l)        								\
+		do {											\
+				if (panicstr == NULL)					\
+                        mtx_lock_spin(&(l));			\
+		} while (0)
+#define CN_UNLOCK(l)        							\
+		do {											\
+				if (panicstr == NULL)					\
+                        mtx_unlock_spin(&(l));			\
+		} while (0)
+
 int xencons_ring_init(void);
 int xencons_ring_send(const char *data, unsigned len);
 void xencons_rx(char *buf, unsigned len);