}
 
 /* Pipeline related functions */
-static inline int idetape_pipeline_active(idetape_tape_t *tape)
-{
-       int rc1, rc2;
-
-       rc1 = test_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE, &tape->flags);
-       rc2 = (tape->active_data_rq != NULL);
-       return rc1;
-}
 
 /*
  * The function below uses __get_free_page to allocate a pipeline stage, along
 
        spin_lock_irqsave(&tape->lock, flags);
        tape->next_stage = NULL;
-       if (idetape_pipeline_active(tape))
+       if (test_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE, &tape->flags))
                idetape_wait_for_request(drive, tape->active_data_rq);
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&tape->lock, flags);
 
 
        debug_log(DBG_SENSE, "%s: cmd=%d\n", __func__, cmd);
 
-       if (idetape_pipeline_active(tape)) {
+       if (test_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE, &tape->flags)) {
                printk(KERN_ERR "ide-tape: bug: the pipeline is active in %s\n",
                                __func__);
                return (0);
 
        if (tape->next_stage == NULL)
                return;
-       if (!idetape_pipeline_active(tape)) {
-               set_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE, &tape->flags);
+       if (!test_and_set_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE, &tape->flags)) {
                idetape_activate_next_stage(drive);
                (void) ide_do_drive_cmd(drive, tape->active_data_rq, ide_end);
        }
        /* Attempt to allocate a new stage. Beware possible race conditions. */
        while ((new_stage = idetape_kmalloc_stage(tape)) == NULL) {
                spin_lock_irqsave(&tape->lock, flags);
-               if (idetape_pipeline_active(tape)) {
+               if (test_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE, &tape->flags)) {
                        idetape_wait_for_request(drive, tape->active_data_rq);
                        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&tape->lock, flags);
                } else {
                        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&tape->lock, flags);
                        idetape_plug_pipeline(drive);
-                       if (idetape_pipeline_active(tape))
+                       if (test_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE,
+                                       &tape->flags))
                                continue;
                        /*
                         * The machine is short on memory. Fallback to non-
         * starting to service requests, so that we will be able to keep up with
         * the higher speeds of the tape.
         */
-       if (!idetape_pipeline_active(tape)) {
+       if (!test_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE, &tape->flags)) {
                if (tape->nr_stages >= tape->max_stages * 9 / 10 ||
                        tape->nr_stages >= tape->max_stages -
                        tape->uncontrolled_pipeline_head_speed * 3 * 1024 /
        idetape_tape_t *tape = drive->driver_data;
        unsigned long flags;
 
-       while (tape->next_stage || idetape_pipeline_active(tape)) {
+       while (tape->next_stage || test_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE,
+                                               &tape->flags)) {
                idetape_plug_pipeline(drive);
                spin_lock_irqsave(&tape->lock, flags);
-               if (idetape_pipeline_active(tape))
+               if (test_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE, &tape->flags))
                        idetape_wait_for_request(drive, tape->active_data_rq);
                spin_unlock_irqrestore(&tape->lock, flags);
        }
                        new_stage = idetape_kmalloc_stage(tape);
                }
        }
-       if (!idetape_pipeline_active(tape)) {
+       if (!test_bit(IDETAPE_FLAG_PIPELINE_ACTIVE, &tape->flags)) {
                if (tape->nr_pending_stages >= 3 * max_stages / 4) {
                        tape->measure_insert_time = 1;
                        tape->insert_time = jiffies;