diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-mailbox.c b/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-mailbox.c
index 9d8220539be8..ca8d5f4b731a 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-mailbox.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-mailbox.c
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ static void epu_dma_done(struct cx18 *cx, struct cx18_epu_work_order *order)
 		 * it's filled in).
 		 *
 		 * cx18_queue_get buf() will detect the lost buffers
-		 * and put them back in rotation eventually.
+		 * and send them back to q_free for fw rotation eventually.
 		 */
 		if ((order->flags & CX18_F_EWO_MB_STALE_UPON_RECEIPT) &&
 		    !(id >= s->mdl_offset &&
@@ -174,24 +174,27 @@ static void epu_dma_done(struct cx18 *cx, struct cx18_epu_work_order *order)
 			break;
 		}
 		buf = cx18_queue_get_buf(s, id, mdl_ack->data_used);
+
 		CX18_DEBUG_HI_DMA("DMA DONE for %s (buffer %d)\n", s->name, id);
 		if (buf == NULL) {
 			CX18_WARN("Could not find buf %d for stream %s\n",
 				  id, s->name);
+			/* Put as many buffers as possible back into fw use */
+			cx18_stream_load_fw_queue(s);
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		cx18_buf_sync_for_cpu(s, buf);
 		if (s->type == CX18_ENC_STREAM_TYPE_TS && s->dvb.enabled) {
 			CX18_DEBUG_HI_DMA("TS recv bytesused = %d\n",
 					  buf->bytesused);
-
 			dvb_dmx_swfilter(&s->dvb.demux, buf->buf,
 					 buf->bytesused);
-
+		}
+		/* Put as many buffers as possible back into fw use */
+		cx18_stream_load_fw_queue(s);
+		/* Put back TS buffer, since it was removed from all queues */
+		if (s->type == CX18_ENC_STREAM_TYPE_TS)
 			cx18_stream_put_buf_fw(s, buf);
-		} else
-			set_bit(CX18_F_B_NEED_BUF_SWAP, &buf->b_flags);
 	}
 	wake_up(&cx->dma_waitq);
 	if (s->id != -1)
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-queue.c b/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-queue.c
index 40379d807cef..a6b0666f0ba3 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-queue.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-queue.c
@@ -117,16 +117,18 @@ struct cx18_buffer *cx18_queue_get_buf(struct cx18_stream *s, u32 id,
 		}
 
 		buf->bytesused = bytesused;
+		/* Sync the buffer before we release the qlock */
+		cx18_buf_sync_for_cpu(s, buf);
 		if (s->type == CX18_ENC_STREAM_TYPE_TS) {
 			/*
-			 * TS doesn't use q_full, but for sweeping up lost
-			 * buffers, we want the TS to requeue the buffer just
-			 * before sending the MDL back to the firmware, so we
-			 * pull it off the list here.
+			 * TS doesn't use q_full.  As we pull the buffer off of
+			 * the queue here, the caller will have to put it back.
 			 */
 			list_del_init(&buf->list);
 		} else {
+			/* Move buffer from q_busy to q_full */
 			list_move_tail(&buf->list, &s->q_full.list);
+			set_bit(CX18_F_B_NEED_BUF_SWAP, &buf->b_flags);
 			s->q_full.bytesused += buf->bytesused;
 			atomic_inc(&s->q_full.buffers);
 		}
@@ -135,9 +137,6 @@ struct cx18_buffer *cx18_queue_get_buf(struct cx18_stream *s, u32 id,
 		ret = buf;
 		break;
 	}
-
-	/* Put more buffers into the transfer rotation from q_free, if we can */
-	cx18_stream_load_fw_queue_nolock(s);
 	mutex_unlock(&s->qlock);
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-streams.c b/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-streams.c
index d2690ccdf327..9ead4591b1d2 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-streams.c
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-streams.c
@@ -419,31 +419,22 @@ struct cx18_queue *cx18_stream_put_buf_fw(struct cx18_stream *s,
 	return q;
 }
 
-/* Must hold s->qlock when calling */
-void cx18_stream_load_fw_queue_nolock(struct cx18_stream *s)
+void cx18_stream_load_fw_queue(struct cx18_stream *s)
 {
+	struct cx18_queue *q;
 	struct cx18_buffer *buf;
-	struct cx18 *cx = s->cx;
 
-	/* Move from q_free to q_busy notifying the firmware: 63 buf limit */
-	while (s->handle != CX18_INVALID_TASK_HANDLE &&
-	       test_bit(CX18_F_S_STREAMING, &s->s_flags) &&
-	       atomic_read(&s->q_busy.buffers) < 63 &&
-	       !list_empty(&s->q_free.list)) {
+	if (atomic_read(&s->q_free.buffers) == 0 ||
+	    atomic_read(&s->q_busy.buffers) >= 63)
+		return;
 
-		/* Move from q_free to q_busy */
-		buf = list_entry(s->q_free.list.next, struct cx18_buffer, list);
-		list_move_tail(&buf->list, &s->q_busy.list);
-		buf->bytesused = buf->readpos = buf->b_flags = buf->skipped = 0;
-		atomic_dec(&s->q_free.buffers);
-		atomic_inc(&s->q_busy.buffers);
-
-		/* Notify firmware */
-		cx18_buf_sync_for_device(s, buf);
-		cx18_vapi(cx, CX18_CPU_DE_SET_MDL, 5, s->handle,
-		  (void __iomem *) &cx->scb->cpu_mdl[buf->id] - cx->enc_mem,
-		  1, buf->id, s->buf_size);
-	}
+	/* Move from q_free to q_busy notifying the firmware, until the limit */
+	do {
+		buf = cx18_dequeue(s, &s->q_free);
+		if (buf == NULL)
+			break;
+		q = cx18_stream_put_buf_fw(s, buf);
+	} while (atomic_read(&s->q_busy.buffers) < 63 && q == &s->q_busy);
 }
 
 int cx18_start_v4l2_encode_stream(struct cx18_stream *s)
@@ -543,8 +534,8 @@ int cx18_start_v4l2_encode_stream(struct cx18_stream *s)
 					&cx->scb->cpu_mdl[buf->id].paddr);
 		cx18_writel(cx, s->buf_size, &cx->scb->cpu_mdl[buf->id].length);
 	}
-	cx18_stream_load_fw_queue_nolock(s);
 	mutex_unlock(&s->qlock);
+	cx18_stream_load_fw_queue(s);
 
 	/* begin_capture */
 	if (cx18_vapi(cx, CX18_CPU_CAPTURE_START, 1, s->handle)) {
diff --git a/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-streams.h b/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-streams.h
index 635d34b75ab1..420e0a172945 100644
--- a/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-streams.h
+++ b/drivers/media/video/cx18/cx18-streams.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ int cx18_streams_register(struct cx18 *cx);
 void cx18_streams_cleanup(struct cx18 *cx, int unregister);
 
 /* Capture related */
-void cx18_stream_load_fw_queue_nolock(struct cx18_stream *s);
+void cx18_stream_load_fw_queue(struct cx18_stream *s);
 struct cx18_queue *cx18_stream_put_buf_fw(struct cx18_stream *s,
 					  struct cx18_buffer *buf);
 int cx18_start_v4l2_encode_stream(struct cx18_stream *s);