--- x/sound/core/timer.c
+++ y/sound/core/timer.c
@@ -916,7 +916,14 @@ void snd_timer_interrupt(struct snd_time
 	}
 
 	/* now process all fast callbacks */
-	snd_timer_process_callbacks(timer, &timer->ack_list_head);
+	if (write_trylock(&tasklist_lock)) {
+		write_unlock(&tasklist_lock);
+		snd_timer_process_callbacks(timer, &timer->ack_list_head);
+	} else {
+		/* go the slow path to avoid deadlock by calling kill_fasync() */
+		list_splice_init(&timer->ack_list_head,
+				 &timer->sack_list_head);
+	}
 
 	/* do we have any slow callbacks? */
 	use_work = !list_empty(&timer->sack_list_head);