diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cq.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cq.c
index 72eb50cd5ecd..d8e9a323122e 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cq.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx4/cq.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ void mlx4_cq_tasklet_cb(unsigned long data)
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(mcq, temp, &ctx->process_list, tasklet_ctx.list) {
 		list_del_init(&mcq->tasklet_ctx.list);
 		mcq->tasklet_ctx.comp(mcq);
-		if (atomic_dec_and_test(&mcq->refcount))
+		if (refcount_dec_and_test(&mcq->refcount))
 			complete(&mcq->free);
 		if (time_after(jiffies, end))
 			break;
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ static void mlx4_add_cq_to_tasklet(struct mlx4_cq *cq)
 	 * still arrive.
 	 */
 	if (list_empty_careful(&cq->tasklet_ctx.list)) {
-		atomic_inc(&cq->refcount);
+		refcount_inc(&cq->refcount);
 		kick = list_empty(&tasklet_ctx->list);
 		list_add_tail(&cq->tasklet_ctx.list, &tasklet_ctx->list);
 		if (kick)
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ int mlx4_cq_alloc(struct mlx4_dev *dev, int nent,
 	cq->cons_index = 0;
 	cq->arm_sn     = 1;
 	cq->uar        = uar;
-	atomic_set(&cq->refcount, 1);
+	refcount_set(&cq->refcount, 1);
 	init_completion(&cq->free);
 	cq->comp = mlx4_add_cq_to_tasklet;
 	cq->tasklet_ctx.priv =
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ void mlx4_cq_free(struct mlx4_dev *dev, struct mlx4_cq *cq)
 	    priv->eq_table.eq[MLX4_EQ_ASYNC].irq)
 		synchronize_irq(priv->eq_table.eq[MLX4_EQ_ASYNC].irq);
 
-	if (atomic_dec_and_test(&cq->refcount))
+	if (refcount_dec_and_test(&cq->refcount))
 		complete(&cq->free);
 	wait_for_completion(&cq->free);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/mlx4/device.h b/include/linux/mlx4/device.h
index b0a57e043fa3..daac2e3a1a58 100644
--- a/include/linux/mlx4/device.h
+++ b/include/linux/mlx4/device.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 #include <linux/cpu_rmap.h>
 #include <linux/crash_dump.h>
 
-#include <linux/atomic.h>
+#include <linux/refcount.h>
 
 #include <linux/timecounter.h>
 
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ struct mlx4_cq {
 	int			cqn;
 	unsigned		vector;
 
-	atomic_t		refcount;
+	refcount_t		refcount;
 	struct completion	free;
 	struct {
 		struct list_head list;