diff --git a/drivers/tty/serial/ioc4_serial.c b/drivers/tty/serial/ioc4_serial.c
index 6b36c1554d7e..dfec69a310ab 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/serial/ioc4_serial.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/serial/ioc4_serial.c
@@ -975,7 +975,7 @@ intr_connect(struct ioc4_soft *soft, int type,
 	BUG_ON(!((type == IOC4_SIO_INTR_TYPE)
 	       || (type == IOC4_OTHER_INTR_TYPE)));
 
-	i = atomic_inc(&soft-> is_intr_type[type].is_num_intrs) - 1;
+	i = atomic_inc_return(&soft-> is_intr_type[type].is_num_intrs) - 1;
 	BUG_ON(!(i < MAX_IOC4_INTR_ENTS || (printk("i %d\n", i), 0)));
 
 	/* Save off the lower level interrupt handler */