diff --git a/drivers/net/rtl8139.c b/drivers/net/rtl8139.c
index 0ff112ea..1afc6a10 100644
--- a/drivers/net/rtl8139.c
+++ b/drivers/net/rtl8139.c
@@ -110,8 +110,7 @@ static err_t rtl8139if_output(struct netif* netif, struct pbuf* p)
 	return ERR_OK;
 }
 
-#if 0
-void rtl8139if_input(struct netif* netif, struct pbuf* p)
+static void rtl8139if_input(struct netif* netif, struct pbuf* p)
 {
 	struct eth_hdr *ethhdr;
  
@@ -138,7 +137,6 @@ void rtl8139if_input(struct netif* netif, struct pbuf* p)
 		break;
 	}
 }
-#endif
 
 static void rtl_rx_inthandler(struct netif* netif)
 {
@@ -175,8 +173,7 @@ static void rtl_rx_inthandler(struct netif* netif)
 #if ETH_PAD_SIZE
 				pbuf_header(p, ETH_PAD_SIZE); /* reclaim the padding word */
 #endif
-				mailbox_ptr_post(&rtl8139if->mbox, (void*)p);
-				//rtl8139if_input(netif, p);
+				rtl8139if_input(netif, p);
 				LINK_STATS_INC(link.recv);
 			} else {
 				LWIP_DEBUGF(NETIF_DEBUG, ("rtl8139if_rx_inthandler: not enough memory!\n"));
@@ -268,46 +265,6 @@ static void rtl8139if_handler(struct state* s)
 	}
 }
 
-err_t rtl8139if_wait(struct netif* netif, uint32_t poll)
-{
-	rtl1839if_t* rtl8139if = netif->state;
-	struct eth_hdr *ethhdr;
-	struct pbuf *p = NULL;
-	err_t err = ERR_OK;
-
-	if (poll) { 
-		if (mailbox_ptr_tryfetch(&(rtl8139if->mbox), (void**) &p))
-			return err;
-	} else {
-		mailbox_ptr_fetch(&(rtl8139if->mbox), (void**) &p);
-	}
-
-	/* points to packet payload, which starts with an Ethernet header */
-	ethhdr = p->payload;
-
-	switch (htons(ethhdr->type)) {
-	/* IP or ARP packet? */
-	case ETHTYPE_ARP:
-	case ETHTYPE_IP:
-#if PPPOE_SUPPORT
-	/* PPPoE packet? */
-	case ETHTYPE_PPPOEDISC:
-	case ETHTYPE_PPPOE:
-#endif /* PPPOE_SUPPORT */
-		/* full packet send to tcpip_thread to process */
-		if ((err = mynetif->input(p, mynetif)) != ERR_OK) {
-			LWIP_DEBUGF(NETIF_DEBUG, ("rtl8139if_poll: IP input error\n"));
-			pbuf_free(p);
-		}
-		break;
-	default:
-		pbuf_free(p);
-		break;
-	}
-
-	return err;
-}
-
 err_t rtl8139if_init(struct netif* netif)
 {
 	rtl1839if_t* rtl8139if;
@@ -348,7 +305,6 @@ err_t rtl8139if_init(struct netif* netif)
 	rtl8139if->tx_buffer[2] = rtl8139if->tx_buffer[1] + 4096;
 	rtl8139if->tx_buffer[3] = rtl8139if->tx_buffer[2] + 4096;
 
-	mailbox_ptr_init(&rtl8139if->mbox);
 	netif->state = rtl8139if;
 	mynetif = netif;
 
diff --git a/drivers/net/rtl8139.h b/drivers/net/rtl8139.h
index 43bd6fe4..962f5232 100644
--- a/drivers/net/rtl8139.h
+++ b/drivers/net/rtl8139.h
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@
 #define __HAVE_RTL8139_H__
 
 #include <metalsvm/stddef.h>
-#include <metalsvm/mailbox.h>
+#include <metalsvm/spinlock.h>
+
 #if defined(CONFIG_LWIP) && defined(CONFIG_PCI)
 
 // the registers are at the following places
@@ -226,17 +227,8 @@ typedef struct rtl1839if {
 	uint32_t	tx_complete;
 	uint16_t	rx_pos;
 	uint8_t		tx_inuse[4];
-	mailbox_ptr_t	mbox;
 } rtl1839if_t;
 
-/*
- * Wait for incoming messages.
- *
- * poll = 0 : wait blocks until a message is received
- * poll != 0: non-blocking wait 
- */
-err_t rtl8139if_wait(struct netif* netif, uint32_t poll);
-
 /*
  * Initialize the network driver for the RealTek RTL8139 family
  */