diff --git a/drivers/staging/hv/ChannelMgmt.c b/drivers/staging/hv/ChannelMgmt.c
index c5efc6ec6c36..2c4f4c8e5e72 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/hv/ChannelMgmt.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/hv/ChannelMgmt.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ static VMBUS_CHANNEL* AllocVmbusChannel(void)
 	}
 
 	/* channel->dataWorkQueue = WorkQueueCreate("data"); */
-	channel->ControlWQ = WorkQueueCreate("control");
+	channel->ControlWQ = create_workqueue("hv_vmbus_ctl");
 	if (!channel->ControlWQ)
 	{
 		TimerClose(channel->PollTimer);
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ static inline void ReleaseVmbusChannel(void* Context)
 	DPRINT_ENTER(VMBUS);
 
 	DPRINT_DBG(VMBUS, "releasing channel (%p)", channel);
-	WorkQueueClose(channel->ControlWQ);
+	destroy_workqueue(channel->ControlWQ);
 	DPRINT_DBG(VMBUS, "channel released (%p)", channel);
 
 	kfree(channel);
@@ -199,7 +199,8 @@ static void FreeVmbusChannel(VMBUS_CHANNEL* Channel)
 
 	/* We have to release the channel's workqueue/thread in the vmbus's workqueue/thread context */
 	/* ie we can't destroy ourselves. */
-	WorkQueueQueueWorkItem(gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue, ReleaseVmbusChannel, (void*)Channel);
+	osd_schedule_callback(gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue, ReleaseVmbusChannel,
+			      (void *)Channel);
 }
 
 
@@ -389,7 +390,8 @@ VmbusChannelOnOffer(
 	newChannel->MonitorBit = (u8)offer->MonitorId % 32;
 
 	/* TODO: Make sure the offer comes from our parent partition */
-	WorkQueueQueueWorkItem(newChannel->ControlWQ, VmbusChannelProcessOffer, newChannel);
+	osd_schedule_callback(newChannel->ControlWQ, VmbusChannelProcessOffer,
+			      newChannel);
 
 	DPRINT_EXIT(VMBUS);
 }
@@ -422,7 +424,9 @@ VmbusChannelOnOfferRescind(
 		return;
 	}
 
-	WorkQueueQueueWorkItem(channel->ControlWQ, VmbusChannelProcessRescindOffer, channel);
+	osd_schedule_callback(channel->ControlWQ,
+			      VmbusChannelProcessRescindOffer,
+			      channel);
 
 	DPRINT_EXIT(VMBUS);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/staging/hv/Connection.c b/drivers/staging/hv/Connection.c
index a2888cb46709..33e5628b88c3 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/hv/Connection.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/hv/Connection.c
@@ -60,7 +60,12 @@ VmbusConnect(void)
 
 	/* Initialize the vmbus connection */
 	gVmbusConnection.ConnectState = Connecting;
-	gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue = WorkQueueCreate("vmbusQ");
+	gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue = create_workqueue("hv_vmbus_con");
+	if (!gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue)
+	{
+		ret = -1;
+		goto Cleanup;
+	}
 
 	INITIALIZE_LIST_HEAD(&gVmbusConnection.ChannelMsgList);
 	spin_lock_init(&gVmbusConnection.channelmsg_lock);
@@ -160,7 +165,8 @@ Cleanup:
 
 	gVmbusConnection.ConnectState = Disconnected;
 
-	WorkQueueClose(gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue);
+	if (gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue)
+		destroy_workqueue(gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue);
 
 	if (gVmbusConnection.InterruptPage)
 	{
@@ -226,7 +232,7 @@ VmbusDisconnect(
 
 	/* TODO: iterate thru the msg list and free up */
 
-	WorkQueueClose(gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue);
+	destroy_workqueue(gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue);
 
 	gVmbusConnection.ConnectState = Disconnected;
 
diff --git a/drivers/staging/hv/Vmbus.c b/drivers/staging/hv/Vmbus.c
index c8e0df6c4805..13d7ac80d6b4 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/hv/Vmbus.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/hv/Vmbus.c
@@ -423,7 +423,9 @@ VmbusOnMsgDPC(
 			}
 
 			memcpy(copied, msg, sizeof(HV_MESSAGE));
-			WorkQueueQueueWorkItem(gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue, VmbusOnChannelMessage, (void*)copied);
+			osd_schedule_callback(gVmbusConnection.WorkQueue,
+					      VmbusOnChannelMessage,
+					      (void *)copied);
 		}
 
 		msg->Header.MessageType = HvMessageTypeNone;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/hv/include/osd.h b/drivers/staging/hv/include/osd.h
index 2a47d149b83e..4147aba5d314 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/hv/include/osd.h
+++ b/drivers/staging/hv/include/osd.h
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ typedef struct _DLIST_ENTRY {
 
 /* typedef unsigned char		GUID[16]; */
 
-typedef void (*PFN_WORKITEM_CALLBACK)(void* context);
 typedef void (*PFN_TIMER_CALLBACK)(void* context);
 
 
@@ -155,12 +154,8 @@ void* PageMapVirtualAddress(unsigned long Pfn);
 void PageUnmapVirtualAddress(void* VirtAddr);
 
 
-extern struct workqueue_struct *WorkQueueCreate(char* name);
-extern void WorkQueueClose(struct workqueue_struct *hWorkQueue);
-extern int WorkQueueQueueWorkItem(struct workqueue_struct *hWorkQueue,
-				  PFN_WORKITEM_CALLBACK workItem,
-				  void *context);
-
-extern void QueueWorkItem(PFN_WORKITEM_CALLBACK workItem, void* context);
+int osd_schedule_callback(struct workqueue_struct *wq,
+			  void (*func)(void *),
+			  void *data);
 
 #endif /* _OSD_H_ */
diff --git a/drivers/staging/hv/osd.c b/drivers/staging/hv/osd.c
index ea3e226f178a..46cdf88cf9d5 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/hv/osd.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/hv/osd.c
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@
 /* Data types */
 
 
-typedef struct _WORKITEM {
+struct osd_callback_struct {
 	struct work_struct work;
-	PFN_WORKITEM_CALLBACK callback;
-	void* context;
-} WORKITEM;
+	void (*callback)(void *);
+	void *data;
+};
 
 
 void BitSet(unsigned int* addr, int bit)
@@ -269,56 +269,32 @@ unsigned long Virtual2Physical(void * VirtAddr)
 	return pfn << PAGE_SHIFT;
 }
 
-static void WorkItemCallback(struct work_struct *work)
+static void osd_callback_work(struct work_struct *work)
 {
-	WORKITEM* w = (WORKITEM*)work;
+	struct osd_callback_struct *cb = container_of(work,
+						      struct osd_callback_struct,
+						      work);
+	(cb->callback)(cb->data);
 
-	w->callback(w->context);
-
-	kfree(w);
+	kfree(cb);
 }
 
-struct workqueue_struct *WorkQueueCreate(char *name)
+int osd_schedule_callback(struct workqueue_struct *wq,
+			  void (*func)(void *),
+			  void *data)
 {
-	struct workqueue_struct *wq;
-	wq = create_workqueue(name);
-	if (unlikely(!wq))
-		return NULL;
-	return wq;
-}
+	struct osd_callback_struct *cb;
 
-void WorkQueueClose(struct workqueue_struct *hWorkQueue)
-{
-	destroy_workqueue(hWorkQueue);
-	return;
-}
-
-int WorkQueueQueueWorkItem(struct workqueue_struct *hWorkQueue,
-			   PFN_WORKITEM_CALLBACK workItem,
-			   void* context)
-{
-	WORKITEM* w = kmalloc(sizeof(WORKITEM), GFP_ATOMIC);
-	if (!w)
+	cb = kmalloc(sizeof(*cb), GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!cb)
 	{
+		printk(KERN_ERR "unable to allocate memory in osd_schedule_callback");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	w->callback = workItem,
-	w->context = context;
-	INIT_WORK(&w->work, WorkItemCallback);
-	return queue_work(hWorkQueue, &w->work);
+	cb->callback = func;
+	cb->data = data;
+	INIT_WORK(&cb->work, osd_callback_work);
+	return queue_work(wq, &cb->work);
 }
 
-void QueueWorkItem(PFN_WORKITEM_CALLBACK workItem, void* context)
-{
-	WORKITEM* w = kmalloc(sizeof(WORKITEM), GFP_ATOMIC);
-	if (!w)
-	{
-		return;
-	}
-
-	w->callback = workItem,
-	w->context = context;
-	INIT_WORK(&w->work, WorkItemCallback);
-	schedule_work(&w->work);
-}