diff --git a/arch/alpha/include/asm/xchg.h b/arch/alpha/include/asm/xchg.h
index 68dfb3cb7145..e2660866ce97 100644
--- a/arch/alpha/include/asm/xchg.h
+++ b/arch/alpha/include/asm/xchg.h
@@ -128,10 +128,9 @@ ____xchg(, volatile void *ptr, unsigned long x, int size)
  * store NEW in MEM.  Return the initial value in MEM.  Success is
  * indicated by comparing RETURN with OLD.
  *
- * The memory barrier should be placed in SMP only when we actually
- * make the change. If we don't change anything (so if the returned
- * prev is equal to old) then we aren't acquiring anything new and
- * we don't need any memory barrier as far I can tell.
+ * The memory barrier is placed in SMP unconditionally, in order to
+ * guarantee that dependency ordering is preserved when a dependency
+ * is headed by an unsuccessful operation.
  */
 
 static inline unsigned long
@@ -150,8 +149,8 @@ ____cmpxchg(_u8, volatile char *m, unsigned char old, unsigned char new)
 	"	or	%1,%2,%2\n"
 	"	stq_c	%2,0(%4)\n"
 	"	beq	%2,3f\n"
-		__ASM__MB
 	"2:\n"
+		__ASM__MB
 	".subsection 2\n"
 	"3:	br	1b\n"
 	".previous"
@@ -177,8 +176,8 @@ ____cmpxchg(_u16, volatile short *m, unsigned short old, unsigned short new)
 	"	or	%1,%2,%2\n"
 	"	stq_c	%2,0(%4)\n"
 	"	beq	%2,3f\n"
-		__ASM__MB
 	"2:\n"
+		__ASM__MB
 	".subsection 2\n"
 	"3:	br	1b\n"
 	".previous"
@@ -200,8 +199,8 @@ ____cmpxchg(_u32, volatile int *m, int old, int new)
 	"	mov %4,%1\n"
 	"	stl_c %1,%2\n"
 	"	beq %1,3f\n"
-		__ASM__MB
 	"2:\n"
+		__ASM__MB
 	".subsection 2\n"
 	"3:	br 1b\n"
 	".previous"
@@ -223,8 +222,8 @@ ____cmpxchg(_u64, volatile long *m, unsigned long old, unsigned long new)
 	"	mov %4,%1\n"
 	"	stq_c %1,%2\n"
 	"	beq %1,3f\n"
-		__ASM__MB
 	"2:\n"
+		__ASM__MB
 	".subsection 2\n"
 	"3:	br 1b\n"
 	".previous"