diff --git a/drivers/staging/r8188eu/core/rtw_cmd.c b/drivers/staging/r8188eu/core/rtw_cmd.c
index b834fac41627..bdf0d0160070 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/r8188eu/core/rtw_cmd.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/r8188eu/core/rtw_cmd.c
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ static int _rtw_init_cmd_priv(struct cmd_priv *pcmdpriv)
 
 	sema_init(&pcmdpriv->cmd_queue_sema, 0);
 	/* sema_init(&(pcmdpriv->cmd_done_sema), 0); */
-	sema_init(&pcmdpriv->terminate_cmdthread_sema, 0);
+	init_completion(&pcmdpriv->start_cmd_thread);
+	init_completion(&pcmdpriv->stop_cmd_thread);
 
 	rtw_init_queue(&pcmdpriv->cmd_queue);
 
@@ -246,7 +247,7 @@ int rtw_cmd_thread(void *context)
 	pcmdbuf = pcmdpriv->cmd_buf;
 
 	pcmdpriv->cmdthd_running = true;
-	up(&pcmdpriv->terminate_cmdthread_sema);
+	complete(&pcmdpriv->start_cmd_thread);
 
 	while (1) {
 		if (_rtw_down_sema(&pcmdpriv->cmd_queue_sema) == _FAIL)
@@ -327,7 +328,7 @@ int rtw_cmd_thread(void *context)
 		rtw_free_cmd_obj(pcmd);
 	} while (1);
 
-	up(&pcmdpriv->terminate_cmdthread_sema);
+	complete(&pcmdpriv->stop_cmd_thread);
 
 	thread_exit();
 }
diff --git a/drivers/staging/r8188eu/include/rtw_cmd.h b/drivers/staging/r8188eu/include/rtw_cmd.h
index 83fbb922db2c..b6266e3e2c40 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/r8188eu/include/rtw_cmd.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/r8188eu/include/rtw_cmd.h
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ struct cmd_obj {
 
 struct cmd_priv {
 	struct semaphore cmd_queue_sema;
-	struct semaphore terminate_cmdthread_sema;
+	struct completion start_cmd_thread;
+	struct completion stop_cmd_thread;
 	struct __queue cmd_queue;
 	u8	cmd_seq;
 	u8	*cmd_buf;	/* shall be non-paged, and 4 bytes aligned */
diff --git a/drivers/staging/r8188eu/os_dep/os_intfs.c b/drivers/staging/r8188eu/os_dep/os_intfs.c
index e7964a048c99..0bcea66f550b 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/r8188eu/os_dep/os_intfs.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/r8188eu/os_dep/os_intfs.c
@@ -385,7 +385,8 @@ u32 rtw_start_drv_threads(struct adapter *padapter)
 	if (IS_ERR(padapter->cmdThread))
 		_status = _FAIL;
 	else
-		_rtw_down_sema(&padapter->cmdpriv.terminate_cmdthread_sema); /* wait for cmd_thread to run */
+		/* wait for rtw_cmd_thread() to start running */
+		wait_for_completion(&padapter->cmdpriv.start_cmd_thread);
 
 	return _status;
 }
@@ -395,7 +396,8 @@ void rtw_stop_drv_threads(struct adapter *padapter)
 	/* Below is to termindate rtw_cmd_thread & event_thread... */
 	up(&padapter->cmdpriv.cmd_queue_sema);
 	if (padapter->cmdThread)
-		_rtw_down_sema(&padapter->cmdpriv.terminate_cmdthread_sema);
+		/* wait for rtw_cmd_thread() to stop running */
+		wait_for_completion(&padapter->cmdpriv.stop_cmd_thread);
 }
 
 static u8 rtw_init_default_value(struct adapter *padapter)