diff --git a/drivers/net/netxen/netxen_nic_hw.c b/drivers/net/netxen/netxen_nic_hw.c
index 0db36f190ba2ce0479e36241c8f7c77d1933fe08..9548e59673991af2a0604a3238fdbca113e19142 100644
--- a/drivers/net/netxen/netxen_nic_hw.c
+++ b/drivers/net/netxen/netxen_nic_hw.c
@@ -777,17 +777,20 @@ int netxen_p3_nic_set_mac_addr(struct netxen_adapter *adapter, u8 *addr)
 int netxen_config_intr_coalesce(struct netxen_adapter *adapter)
 {
 	nx_nic_req_t req;
-	u64 word;
-	int rv;
+	u64 word[6];
+	int rv, i;
 
 	memset(&req, 0, sizeof(nx_nic_req_t));
+	memset(word, 0, sizeof(word));
 
 	req.qhdr = cpu_to_le64(NX_HOST_REQUEST << 23);
 
-	word = NETXEN_CONFIG_INTR_COALESCE | ((u64)adapter->portnum << 16);
-	req.req_hdr = cpu_to_le64(word);
+	word[0] = NETXEN_CONFIG_INTR_COALESCE | ((u64)adapter->portnum << 16);
+	req.req_hdr = cpu_to_le64(word[0]);
 
-	memcpy(&req.words[0], &adapter->coal, sizeof(adapter->coal));
+	memcpy(&word[0], &adapter->coal, sizeof(adapter->coal));
+	for (i = 0; i < 6; i++)
+		req.words[i] = cpu_to_le64(word[i]);
 
 	rv = netxen_send_cmd_descs(adapter, (struct cmd_desc_type0 *)&req, 1);
 	if (rv != 0) {