diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.c
index 7fbfcdc22307..e59a7778c02a 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.c
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ struct gb_connection *gb_connection_create(struct gb_interface *interface,
 	list_add_tail(&connection->interface_links, &interface->connections);
 	spin_unlock_irq(&gb_connections_lock);
 
+	atomic_set(&connection->op_cycle, 0);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&connection->operations);
 
 	return connection;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.h b/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.h
index 035fced12edc..7568161e5dcb 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/connection.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ struct gb_connection {
 
 	enum gb_connection_state	state;
 
-	u16				op_cycle;
+	atomic_t			op_cycle;
 	struct list_head		operations;
 
 	void				*private;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
index 6ed1d479b117..15a6e3b24a7c 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/operation.c
@@ -640,6 +640,7 @@ int gb_operation_request_send(struct gb_operation *operation,
 	struct gb_connection *connection = operation->connection;
 	struct gb_operation_msg_hdr *header;
 	unsigned long timeout;
+	unsigned int cycle;
 	int ret;
 
 	if (connection->state != GB_CONNECTION_STATE_ENABLED)
@@ -661,9 +662,8 @@ int gb_operation_request_send(struct gb_operation *operation,
 	 * Assign the operation's id, and store it in the request header.
 	 * Zero is a reserved operation id.
 	 */
-	spin_lock_irq(&gb_operations_lock);
-	operation->id = ++connection->op_cycle % U16_MAX + 1;
-	spin_unlock_irq(&gb_operations_lock);
+	cycle = (unsigned int)atomic_inc_return(&connection->op_cycle);
+	operation->id = (u16)(cycle % U16_MAX + 1);
 	header = operation->request->header;
 	header->operation_id = cpu_to_le16(operation->id);