diff -urN 2.3.51pre2/arch/i386/kernel/time.c gettimeoffset-slow/arch/i386/kernel/time.c
--- 2.3.51pre2/arch/i386/kernel/time.c	Sun Jan 30 15:43:27 2000
+++ gettimeoffset-slow/arch/i386/kernel/time.c	Fri Mar 10 05:10:01 2000
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_X86_TSC
 
+spinlock_t i8253_lock = SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED;
+
 /* This function must be called with interrupts disabled 
  * It was inspired by Steve McCanne's microtime-i386 for BSD.  -- jrs
  * 
@@ -157,6 +159,8 @@
 	 */
 	unsigned long jiffies_t;
 
+	/* gets recalled with irq locally disabled */
+	spin_lock(&i8253_lock);
 	/* timer count may underflow right here */
 	outb_p(0x00, 0x43);	/* latch the count ASAP */
 
@@ -215,6 +219,7 @@
 		}
 	} else
 		jiffies_p = jiffies_t;
+	spin_unlock(&i8253_lock);
 
 	count_p = count;
 
@@ -448,10 +453,19 @@
 
 		rdtscl(last_tsc_low);
 
+#if 0 /*
+       * SUBTLE: this is not necessary from here because it's implicit in the
+       * write xtime_lock.
+       */
+		spin_lock(&i8253_lock);
+#endif
 		outb_p(0x00, 0x43);     /* latch the count ASAP */
 
 		count = inb_p(0x40);    /* read the latched count */
 		count |= inb(0x40) << 8;
+#if 0
+		spin_unlock(&i8253_lock);
+#endif
 
 		count = ((LATCH-1) - count) * TICK_SIZE;
 		delay_at_last_interrupt = (count + LATCH/2) / LATCH;