diff --git a/arch/x86/mm/page32.c b/arch/x86/mm/page32.c
index a63a53fc..8fe6fc04 100644
--- a/arch/x86/mm/page32.c
+++ b/arch/x86/mm/page32.c
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 	page_table_t* pgt;
 	size_t index, i;
 	size_t ret;
+	uint32_t irqflags;
 
 	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(!task || !task->pgd, 0))
 		return 0;
@@ -279,12 +280,16 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 	else 
 		pgd_lock = &task->pgd_lock;
 
+	// avoid interrupts because the IRQ handler is able to call map_region
+	irqflags = irq_nested_disable();
+
 	spinlock_lock(pgd_lock);
 
 	if (!viraddr) {
 		viraddr = vm_alloc(npages, flags);
 		if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(!viraddr, 0)) {
 			spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+			irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 			kputs("map_adress: found no valid virtual address\n");
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -301,6 +306,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 			pgt = (page_table_t*) get_pages(1);
 			if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(!pgt, 0)) {
 				spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+				irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 				kputs("map_address: out of memory\n");
 				return 0;
 			}
@@ -321,6 +327,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 
 			if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(!pgt_container, 0)) {
 				spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+				irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 				kputs("map_address: internal error\n");
 				return 0;
 			}
@@ -342,6 +349,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 		index = (viraddr >> 12) & 0x3FF;
 		if (pgt->entries[index] && !(flags & MAP_REMAP)) {
 			spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+			irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 			kprintf("0x%x is already mapped\n", viraddr);
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -382,6 +390,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 	}
 
 	spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+	irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/arch/x86/mm/page64.c b/arch/x86/mm/page64.c
index a0083bfa..884158cc 100644
--- a/arch/x86/mm/page64.c
+++ b/arch/x86/mm/page64.c
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 	spinlock_t* pgd_lock;
 	page_table_t* pgt;
 	size_t i, ret;
+	uint32_t irqflags;
 
 	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(!task || !task->pgd, 0))
 		return 0;
@@ -175,6 +176,8 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 	else 
 		pgd_lock = &task->pgd_lock;
 
+	// avoid interrupts because the IRQ handler is able to call map_region
+	irqflags = irq_nested_disable();
 	spinlock_lock(pgd_lock);
 
 	if (!viraddr) {
@@ -196,6 +199,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 		pgt = (page_table_t*) (task->pgd->entries[idx_pd4] & PAGE_MASK);
 		if (!pgt) {
 			spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+			irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 			kputs("map_region: out of memory\n");
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -203,6 +207,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 		pgt = (page_table_t*) (pgt->entries[idx_dirp] & PAGE_MASK);
 		if (!pgt) {
 			spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+			irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 			kputs("map_region: out of memory\n");
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -210,6 +215,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 		pgt = (page_table_t*) (pgt->entries[idx_dir] & PAGE_MASK);
 		if (!pgt) {
 			spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+			irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 			kputs("map_region: out of memory\n");
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -222,6 +228,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 
 		if (pgt->entries[idx_table] && !(flags & MAP_REMAP)) {
 			spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+			irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 			kprintf("0x%x is already mapped\n", viraddr);
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -247,6 +254,7 @@ size_t map_region(size_t viraddr, size_t phyaddr, uint32_t npages, uint32_t flag
 	}
 
 	spinlock_unlock(pgd_lock);
+	irq_nested_enable(irqflags);
 
 	return ret;
 }