diff --git a/kernel-src/include/kernel/slab.h b/kernel-src/include/kernel/slab.h
index 744cac62..f8997a8a 100644
--- a/kernel-src/include/kernel/slab.h
+++ b/kernel-src/include/kernel/slab.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
-#include <spinlock.h>
+#include <mutex.h>
 
 typedef struct slab_t {
 	struct slab_t *next;
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ typedef struct slab_t {
 } slab_t;
 
 typedef struct scache_t {
-	spinlock_t lock;
+	mutex_t mutex;
 	void (*ctor)(struct scache_t *cache, void *obj);
 	void (*dtor)(struct scache_t *cache, void *obj);
 	slab_t *full;
diff --git a/kernel-src/mm/pmm.c b/kernel-src/mm/pmm.c
index 9634d85f..b75a21d0 100644
--- a/kernel-src/mm/pmm.c
+++ b/kernel-src/mm/pmm.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #include <logging.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <arch/mmu.h>
-#include <spinlock.h>
+#include <mutex.h>
 #include <util.h>
 
 uintptr_t hhdmbase;
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ static size_t memorysize;
 static size_t pagecount;
 size_t freepagecount;
 
-static spinlock_t freelistlock;
+static mutex_t freelistmutex;
 static page_t *freelists[PMM_SECTION_COUNT];
 static page_t *standbylists[PMM_SECTION_COUNT];
 
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ void pmm_release(void *addr) {
 
 	uintmax_t newrefcount = __atomic_sub_fetch(&page->refcount, 1, __ATOMIC_SEQ_CST);
 	if (newrefcount == 0) {
-		spinlock_acquire(&freelistlock);
+		MUTEX_ACQUIRE(&freelistmutex, false);
 		insertinfreelist(page);
 		if (page->backing == NULL)
 			page->flags |= PAGE_FLAGS_FREE;
-		spinlock_release(&freelistlock);
+		MUTEX_RELEASE(&freelistmutex);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ static void doalloc(page_t *page) {
 }
 
 void *pmm_allocpage(int section) {
-	spinlock_acquire(&freelistlock);
+	MUTEX_ACQUIRE(&freelistmutex, false);
 	page_t *page = NULL;
 
 	for (int i = section; i >= 0; --i) {
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ void *pmm_allocpage(int section) {
 
 	// TODO get page from standby list and call to remove from cache
 
-	spinlock_release(&freelistlock);
+	MUTEX_RELEASE(&freelistmutex);
 	void *address = NULL;
 	if (page) {
 		address = (void *)(PAGE_GETID(page) * PAGE_SIZE);
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ void pmm_init() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	SPINLOCK_INIT(freelistlock);
+	MUTEX_INIT(&freelistmutex);
 }
 
 void *pmm_alloc(size_t size, int section) {
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ void *pmm_alloc(size_t size, int section) {
 	if (size == 1)
 		return pmm_allocpage(section);
 
-	spinlock_acquire(&freelistlock);
+	MUTEX_ACQUIRE(&freelistmutex, false);
 
 	uintmax_t page = 0;
 	size_t found = 0;
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ void *pmm_alloc(size_t size, int section) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	spinlock_release(&freelistlock);
+	MUTEX_RELEASE(&freelistmutex);
 	return addr;
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel-src/mm/slab.c b/kernel-src/mm/slab.c
index 2d8e0170..520111cb 100644
--- a/kernel-src/mm/slab.c
+++ b/kernel-src/mm/slab.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #define SLAB_DEBUG 0
 
 // the cache responsible for allocating all others
+static bool selfcacheinit = false;
 static scache_t selfcache = {
 	.size = sizeof(scache_t),
 	.alignment = 8,
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ static slab_t *returnobject(scache_t *cache, void *obj) {
 }
 
 void *slab_allocate(scache_t *cache) {
-	spinlock_acquire(&cache->lock);
+	MUTEX_ACQUIRE(&cache->mutex, false);
 	slab_t *slab = NULL;
 	if (cache->partial != NULL)
 		slab = cache->partial;
@@ -186,12 +187,12 @@ void *slab_allocate(scache_t *cache) {
 	}
 
 	cleanup:
-	spinlock_release(&cache->lock);
+	MUTEX_RELEASE(&cache->mutex);
 	return ret;
 }
 
 void slab_free(scache_t *cache, void *addr) {
-	spinlock_acquire(&cache->lock);
+	MUTEX_ACQUIRE(&cache->mutex, false);
 
 	slab_t *slab = returnobject(cache, addr);
 	__assert(slab);
@@ -227,13 +228,18 @@ void slab_free(scache_t *cache, void *addr) {
 			slab->next->prev = slab;
 		cache->partial = slab;
 	}
-	spinlock_release(&cache->lock);
+	MUTEX_RELEASE(&cache->mutex);
 }
 
 scache_t *slab_newcache(size_t size, size_t alignment, void (*ctor)(scache_t *, void *), void (*dtor)(scache_t *, void *)) {
 	if (alignment == 0)
 		alignment = 8;
 
+	if (selfcacheinit == false) {
+		selfcacheinit = true;
+		MUTEX_INIT(&selfcache.mutex);
+	}
+
 	scache_t *cache = slab_allocate(&selfcache);
 	if (cache == NULL)
 		return NULL;
@@ -248,7 +254,7 @@ scache_t *slab_newcache(size_t size, size_t alignment, void (*ctor)(scache_t *,
 	cache->full = NULL;
 	cache->empty = NULL;
 	cache->partial = NULL;
-	SPINLOCK_INIT(cache->lock);
+	MUTEX_INIT(&cache->mutex);
 
 	printf("slab: new cache: size %lu align %lu truesize %lu objcount %lu\n", cache->size, cache->alignment, cache->truesize, cache->slabobjcount);
 
@@ -278,7 +284,7 @@ static size_t purge(scache_t *cache, size_t maxcount){
 }
 
 void slab_freecache(scache_t *cache) {
-	spinlock_acquire(&cache->lock);
+	MUTEX_ACQUIRE(&cache->mutex, false);
 	__assert(cache->partial == NULL);
 	__assert(cache->full == NULL);