diff --git a/kernel/tasks.c b/kernel/tasks.c
index 206823e7..3ed1bdd3 100644
--- a/kernel/tasks.c
+++ b/kernel/tasks.c
@@ -1155,17 +1155,16 @@ void load_balancing(void)
 	uint32_t prio;
 	task_t* task;
 
-	spinlock_irqsave_lock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
 	for(i=0; (i<atomic_int32_read(&cpu_online)) && (runqueues[core_id].balance_counter <= 0); i++)
 	{
 		if (i == core_id)
 			continue;
 
-		spinlock_irqsave_lock(&runqueues[i].lock);
 		if ((runqueues[i].load[0] >> (FSHIFT-1)) > (runqueues[core_id].load[0] >> (FSHIFT-1))) {
 			//kprintf("Try to steal a task from core %u (load %u) to %u (load %u)\n", i, runqueues[i].load[0], core_id, runqueues[core_id].load[0]);
 			//kprintf("Task on core %u: %u, core %u, %u\n", i, runqueues[i].nr_tasks, core_id, runqueues[i].nr_tasks);
 
+			spinlock_irqsave_lock(&runqueues[i].lock);
 			prio = lsb(runqueues[i].prio_bitmap);
 			if (prio < sizeof(size_t)*8) {
 				// steal a ready task
@@ -1180,7 +1179,12 @@ void load_balancing(void)
 					runqueues[i].prio_bitmap &= ~(1 << prio);
 				} else runqueues[i].queue[prio-1].last = task->prev;
 
+				// update task counters
+				runqueues[i].nr_tasks--;
+				spinlock_irqsave_unlock(&runqueues[i].lock);
+
 				// add task at the end of queue core_id
+				spinlock_irqsave_lock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
 				if (!runqueues[core_id].queue[prio-1].last) {
 					runqueues[core_id].queue[prio-1].first = runqueues[core_id].queue[prio-1].last = task;
 					task->next = task->prev = NULL;
@@ -1194,15 +1198,20 @@ void load_balancing(void)
 
 				// update task counters
 				runqueues[core_id].nr_tasks++;
-				runqueues[i].nr_tasks--;
 				runqueues[core_id].balance_counter = TIMER_FREQ/2;
-			} /*else {
+				spinlock_irqsave_unlock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
+			} else {
+#if 1
+				spinlock_irqsave_unlock(&runqueues[i].lock);
+#else
 				task_t* tmp;
 
 				// steal a blocked task
 				task = runqueues[i].timers.first;
-				if (!task) // Ups, found no valid task to steal
+				if (!task) { // Ups, found no valid task to steal
+					spinlock_irqsave_unlock(&runqueues[i].lock);
 					goto no_task_found;
+				}
 
 				kprintf("Core %u steals the blocked task %d from %u with prio %u\n", core_id, task->id, i, task->prio);
 
@@ -1212,6 +1221,10 @@ void load_balancing(void)
 				else
 					runqueues[i].timers.first = runqueues[i].timers.first->next;
 
+				spinlock_irqsave_unlock(&runqueues[i].lock);
+
+				spinlock_irqsave_lock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
+
 				// add timer to queue core_id
 				tmp = runqueues[core_id].timers.first;
 				while(tmp && (task->timeout >= tmp->timeout))
@@ -1240,16 +1253,16 @@ void load_balancing(void)
 
 				// update task counters
 				runqueues[core_id].balance_counter = TIMER_FREQ/2;
-			}*/
+
+				spinlock_irqsave_lock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
+#endif
+			}
 		}
 //no_task_found:
-		spinlock_irqsave_unlock(&runqueues[i].lock);
 	}
 
 	if (runqueues[core_id].balance_counter <= 0)
 		runqueues[core_id].balance_counter = TIMER_FREQ/2;
-
-	spinlock_irqsave_unlock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
 #endif
 }
 #endif