diff --git a/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_sdhc.c b/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_sdhc.c
index 0f1197b6e7b..b724bfec917 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_sdhc.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/kinetis/kinetis_sdhc.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <nuttx/arch.h>
 #include <nuttx/sdio.h>
 #include <nuttx/wqueue.h>
+#include <nuttx/semaphore.h>
 #include <nuttx/mmcsd.h>
 
 #include <nuttx/irq.h>
@@ -2774,8 +2775,18 @@ FAR struct sdio_dev_s *sdhc_initialize(int slotno)
   DEBUGASSERT(slotno == 0);
 
   /* Initialize the SDHC slot structure data structure */
+  /* Initialize semaphores */
 
   sem_init(&priv->waitsem, 0, 0);
+
+  /* The waitsem semaphore is used for signaling and, hence, should not have
+   * priority inheritance enabled.
+   */
+
+  sem_setprotocol(&priv->waitsem, SEM_PRIO_NONE);
+
+  /* Create a watchdog timer */
+
   priv->waitwdog = wd_create();
   DEBUGASSERT(priv->waitwdog);
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/lpc17xx/lpc17_sdcard.c b/arch/arm/src/lpc17xx/lpc17_sdcard.c
index 2ea6c17c45c..532c8ed35d9 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/lpc17xx/lpc17_sdcard.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/lpc17xx/lpc17_sdcard.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /****************************************************************************
  * arch/arm/src/lpc17xx/lpc17_sdcard.c
  *
- *   Copyright (C) 2013-2014 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (C) 2013-2014, 2016 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
  *   Author: Gregory Nutt <gnutt@nuttx.org>
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <nuttx/arch.h>
 #include <nuttx/sdio.h>
 #include <nuttx/wqueue.h>
+#include <nuttx/semaphore.h>
 #include <nuttx/mmcsd.h>
 
 #include <nuttx/irq.h>
@@ -2699,8 +2700,18 @@ FAR struct sdio_dev_s *sdio_initialize(int slotno)
   putreg32(regval, LPC17_SYSCON_PCONP);
 
   /* Initialize the SD card slot structure */
+  /* Initialize semaphores */
 
   sem_init(&priv->waitsem, 0, 0);
+
+  /* The waitsem semaphore is used for signaling and, hence, should not have
+   * priority inheritance enabled.
+   */
+
+  sem_setprotocol(&priv->waitsem, SEM_PRIO_NONE);
+
+  /* Create a watchdog timer */
+
   priv->waitwdog = wd_create();
   DEBUGASSERT(priv->waitwdog);
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/sam34/sam_hsmci.c b/arch/arm/src/sam34/sam_hsmci.c
index fa4073d6a27..2ad23303c49 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/sam34/sam_hsmci.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/sam34/sam_hsmci.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /****************************************************************************
  * arch/arm/src/sam34/sam_hsmci.c
  *
- *   Copyright (C) 2010, 2012-2014 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (C) 2010, 2012-2014, 2016 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
  *   Author: Gregory Nutt <gnutt@nuttx.org>
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <nuttx/clock.h>
 #include <nuttx/sdio.h>
 #include <nuttx/wqueue.h>
+#include <nuttx/semaphore.h>
 #include <nuttx/mmcsd.h>
 
 #include <nuttx/irq.h>
@@ -2668,8 +2669,18 @@ FAR struct sdio_dev_s *sdio_initialize(int slotno)
   mcinfo("slotno: %d\n", slotno);
 
   /* Initialize the HSMCI slot structure */
+  /* Initialize semaphores */
 
   sem_init(&priv->waitsem, 0, 0);
+
+  /* The waitsem semaphore is used for signaling and, hence, should not have
+   * priority inheritance enabled.
+   */
+
+  sem_setprotocol(&priv->waitsem, SEM_PRIO_NONE);
+
+  /* Create a watchdog timer */
+
   priv->waitwdog = wd_create();
   DEBUGASSERT(priv->waitwdog);
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/sama5/sam_hsmci.c b/arch/arm/src/sama5/sam_hsmci.c
index 2b4eb8361a3..165a8f1a12d 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/sama5/sam_hsmci.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/sama5/sam_hsmci.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /****************************************************************************
  * arch/arm/src/sama5/sam_hsmci.c
  *
- *   Copyright (C) 2013-2014 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (C) 2013-2014, 2016 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
  *   Author: Gregory Nutt <gnutt@nuttx.org>
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <nuttx/wdog.h>
 #include <nuttx/sdio.h>
 #include <nuttx/wqueue.h>
+#include <nuttx/semaphore.h>
 #include <nuttx/mmcsd.h>
 
 #include <nuttx/irq.h>
@@ -3331,8 +3332,18 @@ FAR struct sdio_dev_s *sdio_initialize(int slotno)
          priv, priv->base, priv->hsmci, dmac, pid);
 
   /* Initialize the HSMCI slot structure */
+  /* Initialize semaphores */
 
   sem_init(&priv->waitsem, 0, 0);
+
+  /* The waitsem semaphore is used for signaling and, hence, should not have
+   * priority inheritance enabled.
+   */
+
+  sem_setprotocol(&priv->waitsem, SEM_PRIO_NONE);
+
+  /* Create a watchdog timer */
+
   priv->waitwdog = wd_create();
   DEBUGASSERT(priv->waitwdog);
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/samv7/sam_hsmci.c b/arch/arm/src/samv7/sam_hsmci.c
index cffada9e470..589a8cbf87d 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/samv7/sam_hsmci.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/samv7/sam_hsmci.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /****************************************************************************
  * arch/arm/src/samv7/sam_hsmci.c
  *
- *   Copyright (C) 2015 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
  *   Author: Gregory Nutt <gnutt@nuttx.org>
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <nuttx/wdog.h>
 #include <nuttx/sdio.h>
 #include <nuttx/wqueue.h>
+#include <nuttx/semaphore.h>
 #include <nuttx/mmcsd.h>
 
 #include <nuttx/irq.h>
@@ -3352,8 +3353,18 @@ FAR struct sdio_dev_s *sdio_initialize(int slotno)
         priv, priv->base, priv->hsmci, pid);
 
   /* Initialize the HSMCI slot structure */
+  /* Initialize semaphores */
 
   sem_init(&priv->waitsem, 0, 0);
+
+  /* The waitsem semaphore is used for signaling and, hence, should not have
+   * priority inheritance enabled.
+   */
+
+  sem_setprotocol(&priv->waitsem, SEM_PRIO_NONE);
+
+  /* Create a watchdog timer */
+
   priv->waitwdog = wd_create();
   DEBUGASSERT(priv->waitwdog);
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32_sdio.c b/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32_sdio.c
index 6cd372b7fd2..be060c70263 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32_sdio.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32_sdio.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /****************************************************************************
  * arch/arm/src/stm32/stm32_sdio.c
  *
- *   Copyright (C) 2009, 2011-2014 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
+ *   Copyright (C) 2009, 2011-2014, 2016 Gregory Nutt. All rights reserved.
  *   Author: Gregory Nutt <gnutt@nuttx.org>
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <nuttx/clock.h>
 #include <nuttx/sdio.h>
 #include <nuttx/wqueue.h>
+#include <nuttx/semaphore.h>
 #include <nuttx/mmcsd.h>
 
 #include <nuttx/irq.h>
@@ -2853,8 +2854,18 @@ FAR struct sdio_dev_s *sdio_initialize(int slotno)
   struct stm32_dev_s *priv = &g_sdiodev;
 
   /* Initialize the SDIO slot structure */
+  /* Initialize semaphores */
 
   sem_init(&priv->waitsem, 0, 0);
+
+  /* The waitsem semaphore is used for signaling and, hence, should not have
+   * priority inheritance enabled.
+   */
+
+  sem_setprotocol(&priv->waitsem, SEM_PRIO_NONE);
+
+  /* Create a watchdog timer */
+
   priv->waitwdog = wd_create();
   DEBUGASSERT(priv->waitwdog);
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/stm32f7/stm32_sdmmc.c b/arch/arm/src/stm32f7/stm32_sdmmc.c
index 3e6aff9620e..47ac3abf398 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/stm32f7/stm32_sdmmc.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/stm32f7/stm32_sdmmc.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 #include <nuttx/clock.h>
 #include <nuttx/sdio.h>
 #include <nuttx/wqueue.h>
+#include <nuttx/semaphore.h>
 #include <nuttx/mmcsd.h>
 
 #include <nuttx/irq.h>
@@ -3214,8 +3215,18 @@ FAR struct sdio_dev_s *sdio_initialize(int slotno)
     }
 
   /* Initialize the SDIO slot structure */
+  /* Initialize semaphores */
 
   sem_init(&priv->waitsem, 0, 0);
+
+  /* The waitsem semaphore is used for signaling and, hence, should not have
+   * priority inheritance enabled.
+   */
+
+  sem_setprotocol(&priv->waitsem, SEM_PRIO_NONE);
+
+  /* Create a watchdog timer */
+
   priv->waitwdog = wd_create();
   DEBUGASSERT(priv->waitwdog);