diff --git a/drivers/edac/edac_mc.c b/drivers/edac/edac_mc.c
index 3474ca9d90a45e86e1e5b57c0dee8e68a74f22f1..7c952c68f0d6486ef9bb89ab2930786e76b396ff 100644
--- a/drivers/edac/edac_mc.c
+++ b/drivers/edac/edac_mc.c
@@ -222,18 +222,15 @@ static struct mem_ctl_info *find_mci_by_dev(struct device *dev)
  */
 static int edac_mc_assert_error_check_and_clear(void)
 {
-	int vreg;
+	int old_state;
 
 	if(edac_op_state == EDAC_OPSTATE_POLL)
 		return 1;
 
-	vreg = atomic_read(&edac_err_assert);
-	if(vreg) {
-		atomic_set(&edac_err_assert, 0);
-		return 1;
-	}
+	old_state = edac_err_assert;
+	edac_err_assert = 0;
 
-	return 0;
+	return old_state;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/drivers/edac/edac_stub.c b/drivers/edac/edac_stub.c
index 91a038d2f6525643b9129690ceadf670d0b70707..3d259c231507812023a0f67c5b0b8c76c1b05677 100644
--- a/drivers/edac/edac_stub.c
+++ b/drivers/edac/edac_stub.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(edac_op_state);
 atomic_t edac_handlers = ATOMIC_INIT(0);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(edac_handlers);
 
-atomic_t edac_err_assert = ATOMIC_INIT(0);
+int edac_err_assert = 0;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(edac_err_assert);
 
 inline int edac_handler_set(void)
@@ -37,6 +37,6 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(edac_handler_set);
  */
 inline void edac_atomic_assert_error(void)
 {
-	atomic_set(&edac_err_assert, 1);
+	edac_err_assert++;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(edac_atomic_assert_error);
diff --git a/include/linux/edac.h b/include/linux/edac.h
index c8b92d79f884272481b4520318bccc14644f26c8..eab451e69a91a0892fee9fa556b4d3a652bdd056 100644
--- a/include/linux/edac.h
+++ b/include/linux/edac.h
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
 #define EDAC_OPSTATE_INT	2
 
 extern int edac_op_state;
+extern int edac_err_assert;
 extern atomic_t edac_handlers;
-extern atomic_t edac_err_assert;
 
 extern int edac_handler_set(void);
 extern void edac_atomic_assert_error(void);