diff --git a/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi.c b/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi.c
--- a/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi.c
@@ -208,6 +208,15 @@
 	IPMI_LOCK(sc);
 	if (dev->ipmi_requests) {
 		/* Throw away any pending requests for this device. */
+		TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(req, &sc->ipmi_pending_requests_highpri, ir_link,
+		    nreq) {
+			if (req->ir_owner == dev) {
+				TAILQ_REMOVE(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests_highpri, req,
+				    ir_link);
+				dev->ipmi_requests--;
+				ipmi_free_request(req);
+			}
+		}
 		TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(req, &sc->ipmi_pending_requests, ir_link,
 		    nreq) {
 			if (req->ir_owner == dev) {
@@ -579,13 +588,19 @@
 
 	IPMI_LOCK_ASSERT(sc);
 
-	while (!sc->ipmi_detaching && TAILQ_EMPTY(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests))
+	while (!sc->ipmi_detaching && TAILQ_EMPTY(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests) &&
+	    TAILQ_EMPTY(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests_highpri))
 		cv_wait(&sc->ipmi_request_added, &sc->ipmi_requests_lock);
 	if (sc->ipmi_detaching)
 		return (NULL);
 
-	req = TAILQ_FIRST(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests);
-	TAILQ_REMOVE(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests, req, ir_link);
+	req = TAILQ_FIRST(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests_highpri);
+	if (req != NULL)
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests_highpri, req, ir_link);
+	else {
+		req = TAILQ_FIRST(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests);
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests, req, ir_link);
+	}
 	return (req);
 }
 
@@ -601,6 +616,17 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
+int
+ipmi_polled_enqueue_request_highpri(struct ipmi_softc *sc, struct ipmi_request *req)
+{
+
+	IPMI_LOCK_ASSERT(sc);
+
+	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests_highpri, req, ir_link);
+	cv_signal(&sc->ipmi_request_added);
+	return (0);
+}
+
 /*
  * Watchdog event handler.
  */
@@ -817,6 +843,7 @@
 	mtx_init(&sc->ipmi_requests_lock, "ipmi requests", NULL, MTX_DEF);
 	mtx_init(&sc->ipmi_io_lock, "ipmi io", NULL, MTX_DEF);
 	cv_init(&sc->ipmi_request_added, "ipmireq");
+	TAILQ_INIT(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests_highpri);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&sc->ipmi_pending_requests);
 
 	/* Initialize interface-dependent state. */
diff --git a/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_kcs.c b/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_kcs.c
--- a/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_kcs.c
+++ b/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmi_kcs.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <sys/systm.h>
 #include <sys/bus.h>
+#include <sys/conf.h>
 #include <sys/condvar.h>
 #include <sys/eventhandler.h>
 #include <sys/kernel.h>
@@ -490,7 +491,21 @@
 }
 
 static int
-kcs_driver_request(struct ipmi_softc *sc, struct ipmi_request *req, int timo)
+kcs_driver_request_queue(struct ipmi_softc *sc, struct ipmi_request *req, int timo)
+{
+	int error;
+
+	IPMI_LOCK(sc);
+	ipmi_polled_enqueue_request_highpri(sc, req);
+	error = msleep(req, &sc->ipmi_requests_lock, 0, "ipmireq", timo);
+	if (error == 0)
+		error = req->ir_error;
+	IPMI_UNLOCK(sc);
+	return (error);
+}
+
+static int
+kcs_driver_request_poll(struct ipmi_softc *sc, struct ipmi_request *req)
 {
 	int i, ok;
 
@@ -504,6 +519,17 @@
 	return (req->ir_error);
 }
 
+static int
+kcs_driver_request(struct ipmi_softc *sc, struct ipmi_request *req, int timo)
+{
+
+	if (KERNEL_PANICKED() || dumping)
+		return (kcs_driver_request_poll(sc, req));
+	else
+		return (kcs_driver_request_queue(sc, req, timo));
+}
+
+
 int
 ipmi_kcs_attach(struct ipmi_softc *sc)
 {
diff --git a/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmivars.h b/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmivars.h
--- a/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmivars.h
+++ b/sys/dev/ipmi/ipmivars.h
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@
 	uint8_t			ipmi_dev_support;	/* IPMI_ADS_* */
 	struct cdev		*ipmi_cdev;
 	TAILQ_HEAD(,ipmi_request) ipmi_pending_requests;
+	TAILQ_HEAD(,ipmi_request) ipmi_pending_requests_highpri;
 	int			ipmi_driver_requests_polled;
 	eventhandler_tag	ipmi_power_cycle_tag;
 	eventhandler_tag	ipmi_watchdog_tag;
@@ -237,6 +238,7 @@
 struct ipmi_request *ipmi_dequeue_request(struct ipmi_softc *);
 void	ipmi_free_request(struct ipmi_request *);
 int	ipmi_polled_enqueue_request(struct ipmi_softc *, struct ipmi_request *);
+int	ipmi_polled_enqueue_request_highpri(struct ipmi_softc *, struct ipmi_request *);
 int	ipmi_submit_driver_request(struct ipmi_softc *, struct ipmi_request *,
 	    int);