diff --git a/include/kernel.h b/include/kernel.h
index b1ba5e8435..4fdf9260d0 100644
--- a/include/kernel.h
+++ b/include/kernel.h
@@ -1728,6 +1728,7 @@ static inline u32_t k_uptime_delta_32(s64_t *reftime)
 
 struct k_queue {
 	sys_sflist_t data_q;
+	struct k_spinlock lock;
 	union {
 		_wait_q_t wait_q;
 
diff --git a/kernel/queue.c b/kernel/queue.c
index 9178ba3399..a1da9ce167 100644
--- a/kernel/queue.c
+++ b/kernel/queue.c
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ SYS_INIT(init_queue_module, PRE_KERNEL_1, CONFIG_KERNEL_INIT_PRIORITY_OBJECTS);
 void _impl_k_queue_init(struct k_queue *queue)
 {
 	sys_sflist_init(&queue->data_q);
+	queue->lock = (struct k_spinlock) {};
 	_waitq_init(&queue->wait_q);
 #if defined(CONFIG_POLL)
 	sys_dlist_init(&queue->poll_events);
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ static inline void handle_poll_events(struct k_queue *queue, u32_t state)
 
 void _impl_k_queue_cancel_wait(struct k_queue *queue)
 {
-	u32_t key = irq_lock();
+	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&queue->lock);
 #if !defined(CONFIG_POLL)
 	struct k_thread *first_pending_thread;
 
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ void _impl_k_queue_cancel_wait(struct k_queue *queue)
 	handle_poll_events(queue, K_POLL_STATE_CANCELLED);
 #endif /* !CONFIG_POLL */
 
-	_reschedule_irqlock(key);
+	_reschedule(&queue->lock, key);
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_USERSPACE
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ Z_SYSCALL_HANDLER1_SIMPLE_VOID(k_queue_cancel_wait, K_OBJ_QUEUE,
 static s32_t queue_insert(struct k_queue *queue, void *prev, void *data,
 			  bool alloc)
 {
-	u32_t key = irq_lock();
+	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&queue->lock);
 #if !defined(CONFIG_POLL)
 	struct k_thread *first_pending_thread;
 
@@ -154,7 +155,7 @@ static s32_t queue_insert(struct k_queue *queue, void *prev, void *data,
 
 	if (first_pending_thread != NULL) {
 		prepare_thread_to_run(first_pending_thread, data);
-		_reschedule_irqlock(key);
+		_reschedule(&queue->lock, key);
 		return 0;
 	}
 #endif /* !CONFIG_POLL */
@@ -165,6 +166,7 @@ static s32_t queue_insert(struct k_queue *queue, void *prev, void *data,
 
 		anode = z_thread_malloc(sizeof(*anode));
 		if (anode == NULL) {
+			k_spin_unlock(&queue->lock, key);
 			return -ENOMEM;
 		}
 		anode->data = data;
@@ -179,7 +181,7 @@ static s32_t queue_insert(struct k_queue *queue, void *prev, void *data,
 	handle_poll_events(queue, K_POLL_STATE_DATA_AVAILABLE);
 #endif /* CONFIG_POLL */
 
-	_reschedule_irqlock(key);
+	_reschedule(&queue->lock, key);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -234,7 +236,7 @@ void k_queue_append_list(struct k_queue *queue, void *head, void *tail)
 {
 	__ASSERT(head && tail, "invalid head or tail");
 
-	unsigned int key = irq_lock();
+	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&queue->lock);
 #if !defined(CONFIG_POLL)
 	struct k_thread *thread = NULL;
 
@@ -257,7 +259,7 @@ void k_queue_append_list(struct k_queue *queue, void *head, void *tail)
 	handle_poll_events(queue, K_POLL_STATE_DATA_AVAILABLE);
 #endif /* !CONFIG_POLL */
 
-	_reschedule_irqlock(key);
+	_reschedule(&queue->lock, key);
 }
 
 void k_queue_merge_slist(struct k_queue *queue, sys_slist_t *list)
@@ -282,7 +284,7 @@ static void *k_queue_poll(struct k_queue *queue, s32_t timeout)
 {
 	struct k_poll_event event;
 	int err, elapsed = 0, done = 0;
-	unsigned int key;
+	k_spinlock_key_t key;
 	void *val;
 	u32_t start;
 
@@ -302,12 +304,9 @@ static void *k_queue_poll(struct k_queue *queue, s32_t timeout)
 			return NULL;
 		}
 
-		/* sys_sflist_* aren't threadsafe, so must be always protected
-		 * by irq_lock.
-		 */
-		key = irq_lock();
+		key = k_spin_lock(&queue->lock);
 		val = z_queue_node_peek(sys_sflist_get(&queue->data_q), true);
-		irq_unlock(key);
+		k_spin_unlock(&queue->lock, key);
 
 		if ((val == NULL) && (timeout != K_FOREVER)) {
 			elapsed = k_uptime_get_32() - start;
@@ -321,32 +320,30 @@ static void *k_queue_poll(struct k_queue *queue, s32_t timeout)
 
 void *_impl_k_queue_get(struct k_queue *queue, s32_t timeout)
 {
-	unsigned int key;
+	k_spinlock_key_t key = k_spin_lock(&queue->lock);
 	void *data;
 
-	key = irq_lock();
-
 	if (likely(!sys_sflist_is_empty(&queue->data_q))) {
 		sys_sfnode_t *node;
 
 		node = sys_sflist_get_not_empty(&queue->data_q);
 		data = z_queue_node_peek(node, true);
-		irq_unlock(key);
+		k_spin_unlock(&queue->lock, key);
 		return data;
 	}
 
 	if (timeout == K_NO_WAIT) {
-		irq_unlock(key);
+		k_spin_unlock(&queue->lock, key);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_POLL)
-	irq_unlock(key);
+	k_spin_unlock(&queue->lock, key);
 
 	return k_queue_poll(queue, timeout);
 
 #else
-	int ret = _pend_curr_irqlock(key, &queue->wait_q, timeout);
+	int ret = _pend_curr(&queue->lock, key, &queue->wait_q, timeout);
 
 	return (ret != 0) ? NULL : _current->base.swap_data;
 #endif /* CONFIG_POLL */