diff -urNp ref/include/linux/interrupt.h 2.4.20pre5aa1/include/linux/interrupt.h
--- ref/include/linux/interrupt.h	Mon Jul 22 17:59:10 2002
+++ 2.4.20pre5aa1/include/linux/interrupt.h	Thu Aug 29 05:47:57 2002
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ extern void softirq_init(void);
 #define __cpu_raise_softirq(cpu, nr) do { softirq_pending(cpu) |= 1UL << (nr); } while (0)
 extern void FASTCALL(cpu_raise_softirq(unsigned int cpu, unsigned int nr));
 extern void FASTCALL(raise_softirq(unsigned int nr));
+#define rerun_softirqs(cpu) 					\
+do {								\
+	if (!(local_irq_count(cpu) | local_bh_count(cpu)))	\
+		do_softirq();					\
+} while (0);
 
 
 
diff -urNp ref/include/linux/netdevice.h 2.4.20pre5aa1/include/linux/netdevice.h
--- ref/include/linux/netdevice.h	Thu Aug 29 02:13:20 2002
+++ 2.4.20pre5aa1/include/linux/netdevice.h	Thu Aug 29 06:00:02 2002
@@ -520,8 +520,9 @@ static inline void __netif_schedule(stru
 		local_irq_save(flags);
 		dev->next_sched = softnet_data[cpu].output_queue;
 		softnet_data[cpu].output_queue = dev;
-		cpu_raise_softirq(cpu, NET_TX_SOFTIRQ);
+		__cpu_raise_softirq(cpu, NET_TX_SOFTIRQ);
 		local_irq_restore(flags);
+		rerun_softirqs(cpu);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -570,8 +571,9 @@ static inline void dev_kfree_skb_irq(str
 		local_irq_save(flags);
 		skb->next = softnet_data[cpu].completion_queue;
 		softnet_data[cpu].completion_queue = skb;
-		cpu_raise_softirq(cpu, NET_TX_SOFTIRQ);
+		__cpu_raise_softirq(cpu, NET_TX_SOFTIRQ);
 		local_irq_restore(flags);
+		rerun_softirqs(cpu);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -738,6 +740,7 @@ static inline void __netif_rx_schedule(s
 		dev->quota = dev->weight;
 	__cpu_raise_softirq(cpu, NET_RX_SOFTIRQ);
 	local_irq_restore(flags);
+	rerun_softirqs(cpu);
 }
 
 /* Try to reschedule poll. Called by irq handler. */
@@ -763,6 +766,7 @@ static inline int netif_rx_reschedule(st
 		list_add_tail(&dev->poll_list, &softnet_data[cpu].poll_list);
 		__cpu_raise_softirq(cpu, NET_RX_SOFTIRQ);
 		local_irq_restore(flags);
+		rerun_softirqs(cpu);
 		return 1;
 	}
 	return 0;